Berkshire Eagle Column: Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner!

I think sometimes I just figure out dinner as I go along. I’m sure I’ve made this before, and most recently I realized it would be a great option for anyone trying to diversify how they make chicken! Although the recipe mentions fennel and figs (optional – they just happened to be in the store), you can try other combinations. Let me know if you happen upon a great combo!

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FROM MY CHICKEN REPERTOIRE

by Elizabeth Baer

Why the well-known joke, “Tastes like chicken”? Among other factors, this points to the versatility of chicken – as well as how many other proteins are mild enough to take on the flavors of whatever you desire.

A simple roast chicken is an iconic comfort food, as it takes little effort and warms the house with the oven on for a while. And yet, sometimes roasting a whole chicken and carving it for serving can be a bit more cumbersome than you want on an average weeknight.

Chicken pieces cook a lot faster, and while you can just roast them as well, I like to try different combinations of flavors and vegetables and techniques to bring some variety to my chicken-dinner game.

Fennel may not be the most well-known vegetable, but it holds up well to this cooking technique and I love how it softens both in texture and flavor. The last time I made this dish, I had found fresh figs at the store, so I added some in at the end. I adore figs and can rarely pass them up when they are in season. Sometimes I even buy them not knowing how I might use them! You could also toss in some dried figs or apricots, but if using dried fruit be sure the pieces are soaking up some liquid to soften then. Whether you add some fruit or none at all, this recipe adds a little something extra to the ubiquitous chicken dinner, and yet still isn’t too involved or effortful.

PAN-ROASTED CHICKEN WITH FENNEL

Serves 3-4

• 1 chicken cut into 8 pieces, or equivalent of bone-in chicken parts, about 3½-4 pounds

• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided

• ¼ teaspoon pepper

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

• 2 large shallots, cut into wedges through root end

• 1 fennel bulb, cut into wedges through root end

• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon

• ¼ cup white wine

• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 5-6 fresh figs, quartered, optional

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Sprinkle chicken pieces on both sides with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper. In a very large, oven-proof sauté pan, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium-high heat. (If you don’t have a sauté pan large enough to hold everything, you can remove the chicken, shallots, and fennel after browning to a baking dish, make the sauce in the sauté pan, and pour that over everything before putting in the oven.) Add the chicken skin-side down and allow to sear until brown. Tuck the shallot wedges in between the chicken pieces, cut side down as much as possible. Turn the chicken pieces and brown the other side. Once the chicken is well-browned, remove to a bowl and set aside.

There should be enough fat left from the butter and oil plus what rendered from the chicken, but if not, add a little more olive oil. Place the fennel wedges cut side down and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Allow the fennel to brown on the cut sides, turning as necessary. The shallot wedges should be turned as well to brown all cut sides.

Add the tarragon and allow it to flavor the oil for a minute or so. Add the white wine and sherry vinegar, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the Dijon mustard and stir gently to combine with the liquid in the pan.

Return the chicken pieces to the pan, tucking them in between pieces of fennel and shallot. Pour any accumulated juices from the bowl over the chicken. Roast for 20 minutes. Raise the oven temperature to 425°F and add the figs if using. Cook for another 10-15 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. The exact timing will depend on the size of the chicken pieces. If using an instant-read thermometer, the internal temperature should reach 165°F.

Serve with something to soak up the juices, such as rice, mashed potatoes, or polenta.