Fennel and Onion Chicken

I am just happy today wasn’t another snow day.  Tonight’s whats for dinner……Fennel and Onion Chicken.

I am back to cooking at 3:00 to accomodate for piano lessons and home work after school, life is just a series of compromises.  Tonight’s recipe is in Rachael Ray’s feb magazine and only takes 30 minutes, she also made it on the show today.  I am all about that 30 minutes deal!

 I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs and breast, using my new cast iron skillet again, thanks mom.  Heat up the skillet until it is super hot, add EVOO right before adding the chicken.  Season the chicken with poultry seasoning, fennel seeds, salt & pepper and floured lightly, preferably before you put it in the skillet.  Cook until both sides are golden brown, then remove them from the pan.

Add some EVOO to the skillet, toss in the Fennel, onions and garlic.  To prepare the fennel you just thinly slice up the bulb ( white part).  Chop up some of the greens from the top and add those in too.  I have cooked with fennel once before.  It taste like liquorice and despite how it sounds…. it’s really good when cooked with onions.  After the fennel and onions are softened add wine, scrapping the bottom of the pan.  This is the best tip I ever learned from Rachael (and grating garlic). This loosens all the stuff on the bottom of the pan that got hardened in the cooking process.  Works like a charm and I always have just a little wine myself during this process because I am 38 years old and I can.

After reducing the wine for a few minutes add back in the chicken. 

Rachael made a really great gravy to top off the chicken……I just added a little to mine remembering that I will be on a beach soon.  In a medium sauce pan melt butter and then brown some pine nuts.  Cook for a few minutes then whisk in some flour, chicken stock and  just a splash of Worcestershire sauce.  Cook until thickened.  Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve with fennel and onions alongside.

Dinner was good, however my house smells like something familiar that I can’t quite put my finger on but it isn’t a warm fuzzy feeling smell if you know what I mean.  Don’t you hate that, when you know something is familiar but you can’t remember what it is so you don’t know if it is a good memory or bad…… I must be getting older.

This isn’t the most kid friendly meal, they did like the chicken but it was a “no way” on the fennel and onions as a side. 

Still happy I didn’t have to plan out dinner and that I tried something new today…….please be spring tomorrow!

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