Roasted Chicken Ottolenghi Style with Fennel and Clementines
David prepared this dish when we met in California. It is best to marinate the chicken in advance (preferably overnight) to get the most out of the delicious combination of fennel, citrus and ouzo. The recipe comes from David’s copy of Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbook Jerusalem. This recipe for Chicken with Fennel and Clementines is a great single pan main course that will serve a crowd as David says in his Cocoa & Lavender post “Family Style.”
Chicken with Fennel and Clementines
A easy one pan dish combining the great flavours of fennel, citrus and roasted chicken. This recipe was inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi, and minimally adapted from his cookbook Jerusalem.
Ingredients
- 6 1/2 tablespoons Ouzo
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons Freshly Squeezed Orange juice
- 3 tablespoons Freshly Squeezed Lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons Whole Grain Mustard
- 3 tablespoons Light Brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 2 medium fennel bulbs each cut into 8 wedges
- 8 Organic Chicken Thighs with skin and bone
- 6 Clementines unpeeled, sliced thin
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds lightly crushed
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Flat leaf parsley chopped, to garnish
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together arak, oil, orange and lemon juices, mustard, brown sugar and salt.
- Season with pepper, to taste.
- Add fennel, chicken, clementine slices, thyme and crushed fennel seeds.
- Turn several times to coat. If time allows marinate chicken for several hours or, preferably, overnight.
- Preheat oven to 475°F.
- Transfer all ingredients, including marinade, to a large roasting pan.
- Chicken should be skin side up.
- Roast until chicken is browned and cooked throughly, 40-45 minutes.
- Remove from the oven.
- Lift chicken, fennel and clementines onto a serving platter. Cover and keep warm.
- Pour cooking liquid into a small saucepan. Place over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, then simmer until sauce is reduced.
- Pour heated sauce over chicken.
- Garnish with parsley and serve with a side of rice.
- The recipe says it serves 4 but, depending on the size of the thighs, this can easily serve 8.
Notes
NOTE: the recipe can serve up to 8 people if your chicken thighs are quite large.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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4 Comments
I love this dish. It is so easy and is one of my favorite chicken recipes. I do change a few of the ingredients as follows: I use navel oranges because it is impossible to find quality mandarin oranges and the navels hold up better. I do trim off the top and bottom rind before cutting the oranges. I also replace the ouzo with anise flavoring to cut the sweetness a bit. There are many anise flavored liqueurs that I haven’t had the opportunity to test but plan to in the future to use in this dish.
Thank you, Debra, for sharing your delicious variations to this recipe. I love this dish, it’s easy to make, and the result is almost guaranteed.
I am making this recipe for a party this weekend. Is there a way to make this recipe with an “Italian flavor” in any way? Would there be a different liquor or herb that will still enhance the rest of the dish?
Sounds fantastic. Would orzo instead of rice work as well?
Thank you for reading Perfectly Provence. I have to say, not just because Ottolenghi is one of my favourite chefs, but this recipe is excellent. The fennel and the ouzo work together at the base from the same plant. You could try with a grappa, but I would keep the fennel in the dish. There is also an Italian liquor called Pallini Mistra made with aniseed. Yes, I think that orzo would be perfect instead of rice.