Recipe Rise

This is a Tyler Florence recipe, and I just love Tyler Florence.  If you ever watch his show Tyler’s Ultimate on Food Network he makes food that you can smell through the TV.  The other week I went to the grocery store and decided to buy a fennel bulb.  Now, I have never cooked with fennel before but thought I would give it a try.  Seriously, how hard could it be?  A co-worker of mine always brings this fennel dish for lunch.   I asked him for the recipe and his wife, an amazing cook, was sweet enough to give it to me.  I am so glad I asked!  This is an amazing winter dish and I would say it is “company” worthy.   

Serves 4 

Salt 

1 tablespoons peppercorns(I just used black pepper) 

1 tablespoon fennel seeds 

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I even splurged and purchased organic!)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

2 large fennel bulbs sliced 

1 pound wide egg noodles 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter 

1 cup of halved red grapes 

handful fresh, flat leaf parsley (I used curly because it was in my herb garden) 

Preheat oven to 375.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the noodles.  

If you have a grinder put the peppercorns and fennel in the grinder and mash up.  If you don’t, like me, then just put the black pepper and fennel seeds in a plastic bag and hit with a pan or rolling pin to grind up.  Sprinkle the mixture over the chicken and then sprinkle the chicken with salt.   

Slice the fennel.  Notice the picture to get an idea of how to slice…sort of like an onion. 

Using a large oven proof skillet place olive oil, chicken and fennel over medium-high heat.  Cook for about 5 minutes and then turn the chicken thighs.  Cover and cook for about 5 more minutes.  Turn the chicken and fennel again and put the entire pan in the oven covered.  Cook for 30 minutes.  Remember to use oven mitt when getting the pan out or your will burn yourself like me! OOOuuch!! 

chicken thighs and fennel out of the oven

While the chicken is cooking cook the noodles in boiling water according to package directions.  Slice the grapes and chop the parsley.  Ladle out a cup of the noodle water for the chicken.  

Remove the chicken from the oven and place it and the fennel on a separate dish.  Add the cup of reserved noodle water to the pan and butter.  Using a wooden spoon scrap down the sides of everything in the pan to get the good chicken juices.  Allow the sauce to cook until it reduces by half.  Add the cooked noodles, grapes and parsley to the pan.  Toss to coat.  Serve with chicken and fennel.