Every now and then I try a new recipe, adapt it to my way of cooking, I find a new favorite. This recipe for Roast Chicken with Braised Fennel, Tarragon and Lemon is one of those. It has two of my favorite ingredients, tarragon and fennel, one of which I have tried to make countless times without liking the results. This is the fennel. I think that I have finally found a way to make this wonderful vegetable forevermore. The combination of the cooking method and the ingredients is what makes this recipe one of my favorites!

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  • Course Dinner
  • Cuisine French
  • Keyword All-Seasons, Casual Dinner Party, Delicious, Different, Flavor, For Foodies, Oven Roasted, Saucy, Simple, Special Dinner, Sunday Dinner
Servings Prep Time Cook Time
4 people 15 minutes 25 minutes
Passive Time Total Time
40 minutes
Servings Prep Time Cook Time
4 people 15 minutes 25 minutes
Passive Time Total Time
40 minutes
Tips
To guarantee a uniformly even golden color without sticking to the pan, brown chicken in non-stick frying pans only and use vegetable oil spray versus oil.
Degree of Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients
  • 2 chicken breasts skin on, bone in
  • vegetable oil spray
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 8-10 sprigs fresh tarragon
  • 1 whole lemon zested
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 whole fennel bulb. trimmed and sliced
  • 1/2 cup white wine to de-glaze the pan
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • Garnish
  • 1 whole lemon cut into wedges
Servings: people
Units:
Instructions
  1. Gather all ingredients before starting the recipe.
  2. Pre-heat oven to 375°
  3. Grate the zest from a whole lemon, finely slice 2 whole peeled cloves of garlic and trim and slice fennel into 1/2" slices. Set aside until ready to use.
  4. Spray the bottom of a medium sauté pan with vegetable oil and heat the pan over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes.
  5. Season chicken pieces on both side with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. When the pan is hot, add the chicken, skin side down, and sear for 6-8 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove chicken to a platter and reserve.
  6. Place fennel in the same pan and sauté for 2-3 minutes per side, or until nicely golden.
  7. Remove fennel to a casserole dish and top with the reserved chicken.
  8. Add a tablespoon of butter to the pan and when the butter melted, add sprigs of fresh tarragon, lemon zest and sliced garlic and stir to combine.
  9. Cook for one minute and then de-glaze the pan with the white wine. Stir and scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the and cook until the wine has reduced by half.
  10. Add chicken stock, stir to combine, then pour the juices over the reserved chicken and fennel.
  11. Place pan into a pre heated oven and roast for 25-30 minutes or until the pan juices have been reduced by half and the chicken is cooked through and the fennel is tender and nicely browned.
  12. Serve with sliced lemon wedges.
Recipe Notes

You don't have to transfer the chicken and vegetables to another dish before roasting in the oven, but I planned to serve this recipe from the pan, so I did transfer to a baking dish. You could just as easily place the skillet in the oven and then serve from the skillet.

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