I love the aniseed flavour and fragrance of both fennel and tarragon — they’re the perfect match with chicken and crème fraîche. Lovely with a bowl of cooked asparagus or green beans.
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
150 grams streaky bacon, sliced into 2cm pieces
1 small brown onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons dried tarragon
1 large fennel bulb, stem trimmed, cut into wedges
¾ cup chicken stock (use a stock pot or cube)
¼ cup crème fraîche or sour cream
2 teaspoons grain mustard
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
sea salt and ground pepper
TO COOK
6–8 boneless, skin-off chicken thighs
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 170°C fan bake.
Heat the oil in a 28cm ovenproof frying pan. Add the bacon, onion, garlic and tarragon and cook for 8 minutes until lightly golden. Add the fennel and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk the stock, crème fraîche, mustard and the lemon zest together then tip into the pan and season with salt and pepper.
TO COOK: Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and fold in half to make plump parcels. Nestle into the pan and spoon some sauce over each one.
Cook uncovered for 40–45 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked, basting a couple of times during cooking.
latest issue:
Issue #122
Our latest of dish is an absolute bumper issue, packed with over 70 recipes! We start by chatting with the MasterChef Australia judges and Kiwi contestant Ben Mcdonald before cooking up the very best of what’s in season. Then we make freezer meals easy and delicious with double-batch cooking. Next up we share some of our faves including Pretzel-crumbed Chicken Schnitty and French Onion Soup Mac and Cheese. Then we whip up warming curries, tempting dinners for two, epic sides like our Parmesan-crusted Roasted Potatoes, and crowd pleasers like our cover-star Miso French Onion Chicken. We finish up with irresistible sweet treats and a run-down of top Aussie shiraz!