Orange and Fennel-Roasted Chicken
Orange and Fennel-Roasted Chicken, risotto with green beans, browned pearl onions and fried capicola..
Orange and Fennel-Roasted Chicken
Marinate locally-pastured chicken pieces (I’m using bone-in, skin-on thighs) in a mixture of raw olive oil, freshly-squeezed orange juice, garlic and cracked fennel seeds for 4-8 hours, turning once.
Remove chicken from refrigerator, wipe off excess marinade and season liberally with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Allow to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, then roast in a 375 degree oven until crisp and the juices run clear, about 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, saute pearl onions and roughly-chopped dry coppa (capicola) in a bit of olive oil until nicely browned and slightly crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove the onions & coppa to a plate, then add bomba rice to the pan, stirring to coat each grain with the flavored oil that remains.
Add three times the amount of vegetable stock, chicken stock or water to the pan as you have rice, and allow it to come to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add cut fresh green beans and allow to simmer, stirring continuously until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Add the onions and coppa, stir to combine and remove from heat. Allow to stand 3-5 minutes before spooning onto a serving dish.
Top cooked rice with the roasted chicken and pour the pan juices over the top. Garnish with fennel fronds and serve immediately.
Cheri Sicard said,
June 4, 2011 at 7:47 pm
That looks delicious. I love using orange with chicken and do it often in combination with chiles. But I haven’t tried it with fennel.
Ren said,
June 7, 2011 at 1:49 pm
Chili & orange are a great combination! Thanks, Cheri!
Casey said,
June 4, 2011 at 11:31 pm
Sounds and looks so flavorful!
Ren said,
June 7, 2011 at 1:49 pm
Thank you, Casey!
Thia said,
June 5, 2011 at 1:46 am
I’m with Cheri; I’ll have to try the fennel. Sounds good! :)
Ren said,
June 7, 2011 at 1:51 pm
Thanks! I used the fairly intensely flavored whole seeds to roast with, and used fresh fronds as a compliment. Seemed to work!
Kathryn said,
June 7, 2011 at 1:32 pm
Oh my goodness, this is beautiful, Ren. I have never cooked with bomba rice before. How does it differ from run of the mill white rice?
Ren said,
June 7, 2011 at 1:46 pm
Thanks, Kathryn! Bomba is an ancient strain, grown in fresh mountain water (no chemicals) in and around Calasparra, Spain. The reason that I use it is because it absorbs three to four times its own volume in stock or broth (without losing its tooth), turning it from just another carb into something pretty nutritious.
scpankow said,
June 14, 2011 at 9:58 am
I bet this would be good with rabbit as well….