25 June 2013

Chicken, Fennel & Orange Casserole




The cold snap has hit, along with the worst storms in decades. Hail, torrential rain, floods, landslides, snow, the loudest thunder I have ever heard & power cuts have battered most of the country this past week.  Yes mother nature & the old weather have made quite a week of it in New Zealand. We have actually got off quite lightly here in Auckland, so I am thankful for that & happy to be rugged up inside on a Sunday afternoon with power to power the heat pump!

Remarkably my hibiscus has survived unscathed & still has flowers!


I had a few friends over for a weekend dinner & bright & fresh was on the menu with this chicken, fennel & orange casserole to warm us all up.  I am a fennel fan, raw in salads, roasted, sauteed any which way I like it.  It’s aniseed notes are good friends with orange & tomato & is this little trio that makes this a fresh & zesty casserole.

Chicken, Fennel & Orange Casserole, adapted from Bill Granger

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
8 chicken thighs, cut in to 3
1 onion, sliced
1 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed & thinly sliced
1 red pepper, sliced 
1 tsp crushed fennel seeds
2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
Pinch chilli flakes
Pinch saffron threads, soaked in a little warm water
3 strips of orange rind 
Juice of 1 orange
1 can chopped tomatoes
500ml chicken stock
Salt & pepper

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken & fry for a few minutes on each side until browned. Remove from the pan and set aside. 

Add the onion & fennel to the pan, season with a little salt & reduce the heat to medium. Cook for a few minutes until they are softened & then add the garlic & smoked paprika.  Fry for a couple of minutes more & then add the fennel seeds, chilli flakes, saffron, orange rind & juice, tomatoes & stock.  Add the chicken & season with a good pinch of salt & pepper.  Let the casserole simmer gently for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.  Taste &  season if need be.

Serve along side a pile of mashed potato to brighten & comfort your day.  It is bright & fresh, the zesty orange against the backdrop of the wonderfully smoky paprika & just a little welcome heat from those chilli flakes.



If you like this you might like these Braised Lamb Shanks

Enjoy!

4 comments:

  1. We are sitting between heavy monsoon rains this year. I know what you mean the thunder and weather conditions have been kind of extreme. I am in the modd for something warm and your casserole is so very inviting. Can I come over? ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Helene..& you'd be welcome over any time!

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  2. Beautiful, Mairi! This is perfect for a stormy evening. We are in the midst of a heat wave (so happy summer arrived on time in Seattle!) so I'll be saving this casserole for when the chilly rain returns. Stay warm!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh Summer....well Spring is only a month or 2 away :) And thank fully some sunny, if just a little chilly have returned! Enjoy your Summer Hannah!

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