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Creating recipes isn't a pastime—it's a passion. And a lot of fun.

The rules are few: Use 99% fresh ingredients (or thereabouts); make the dish simple but flavorful; make the dish flavorful but simple; be creative, not silly.

With this blog, I want to share new recipes, along with tips on ingredients and preparation, and, hopefully, show new cooks (and non-cooks) the pleasure in setting the table with a delicious homemade meal. The Briny Lemon is about fresh, simple, flavorful ingredients and easy cooking methods that help you bring the best to your family table. Your comments are welcome!

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Roasted Orange Chicken and Fennel



I think pan-roasting chicken is one of the best cooking methods to bring out the flavor of the bird and tenderness of the meat. And citrus flavors are fantastic complements for poultry.

Here I went with orange, both juice and zest. The addition of honey gives the sauce a bit of a glaze texture, and roasted fennel slices add their own sweet anise flavor. This one-pan dinner is loaded with inviting aroma and taste—and it’s ready in less than 30 minutes.

Tip: If you don’t have an ovenproof (preferably cast-iron) skillet large enough to hold four breasts and vegetables, sear them in two batches on the stovetop in a smaller skillet then transfer everything to a roasting pan to finish.

More tips: Use a vegetable peeler to easily remove the zest from an orange. Core the fennel by cutting the bulb in half, then cutting a wedge into each half to remove the core:


Remove zest with a vegetable peeler
Fennel bulbs ready to trim and core
Cut bulb in half then cut a wedge to remove the core
Serves 4

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup orange juice (if bottled, not from concentrate)
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1-1/2 tbsp finely chopped orange zest
  • 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 6 oz each
  • 2 small fennel bulbs, trimmed, cored, and cut lengthwise into about 1/2-inch-wide slices
  • 1 tsp chopped fennel fronds
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
Chopped Zest
Prepared Fennel
Preparation
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  2. Combine the juice, honey, zest, and vinegar in a bowl, stirring well to dissolve the honey. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
  3. Heat a very large, ovenproof (preferably cast-iron) skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil, swirling to coat the pan. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Season the fennel with salt and pepper and scatter around the chicken.
  4. Sear until the chicken is browned on the bottom and the fennel is browned in spots, 6-7 minutes.
  5. Turn the breasts over and stir the fennel slices. Pour the reserved orange juice mixture into the pan, tilting to cover the bottom around the chicken and fennel.
  6. Place the skillet in the oven and roast until the chicken is browned and just cooked through, and the fennel is tender and browned, about 15 minutes.
Juice Mixture
Chicken and Fennel Beginning to Cook
After Turning 
Juice Mixture Added
Sprinkle with chopped fennel fronds and rosemary and serve the chicken and fennel with pan juices spooned on top.


Roasted Orange Chicken and Fennel

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