Baked Chicken with Shallots, Garlic and Fennel

This is a very simple and delicious way to cook chicken. Leave the chicken to marinate for a few hours before so that the complementary flavours of garlic, shallots and fennel seeds can really permeate the flesh.

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Place the chicken, shallots and all but one of the garlic cloves in a flameproof dish or roasting pan. Add the oil. vinegar, wine or vermouth, if using, and fennel seeds. Season with pepper and mix well, then marinate for 2-3 hours.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/ Gas 5. Add the fennel to the chicken, season with salt, and stir to mix. Cook for 50-60 minutes, stirring once or twice. The juices should run clear when the thigh is pierced with a skewer.

Step 3

Transfer to the chicken and vegetables to a dish to keep warm, skim off some of the fat and bring the juices to a boil then pour in the cream. Stir, then whisk in the redcurrant jelly and mustard. Check the seasoning. adding a little sugar, if you like.

Step 4

Chop the remaining garlic with the reserved fennel tops and mid with the chopped parsley. Pour the sauce ore the chicken and scatter the chopped garlic and herb mixture over the top. Serve immediately.

Step 5

Cook's tips: - If possible, use the fresh new seasons garlic for this dish, as it is plump, moist and full of flavour. Purple-skinned garlic is considered to have the best flavour. - The cut surfaces of fennel tend to discolour quickly, so try not to prepare k much in advance of using it. If you must, then put the wedges into a bowl of cold water that has been acidulated with a little lemon mice