Oven-Roasted Chicken Thighs with Onion and Fennel
Chicken Italian Meat Dishes Gluten-Free Recipes
Calabrian-style chicken. We have here a very successful Italian combination of fennel and Nduja (I also used it in this pork ragu), joined by orange, also inspired by a classic Italian combination (fennel+orange).
Ingredients
6 bone-in chicken thighs with skin (1 kg)
1 small onion (about 50 g)
1 small fennel bulb
35 g Nduja spicy paste
4 large garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 level teaspoon sweet paprika
1 level teaspoon fennel seeds (crushed in a mortar if you don't want to feel them whole in the food)
1 juicy orange
2 tablespoons olive oil
50 ml cooking cream (15-20% fat; optional)
salt, black pepper
Servings: 6
How to prepare oven-roasted chicken thighs with onion and fennel
- Clean the onion and fennel and cut them in half, then into medium slices, not too thin. Distribute them on the bottom of an oven-safe dish where the thighs will fit in a single layer.
- Wash and dry the thighs well with paper towels. Season with salt and black pepper, then add the Nduja paste, crushed garlic, fennel seeds, oregano, paprika, 1 tablespoon oil, and squeeze the orange juice. Massage the meat well so it's covered with seasonings, preferably by hand because Nduja paste only softens with heat, so using the warmth of your hands will make the process easier.
- Place the meat over the onion and fennel. If there's any unmelted paste left, press it evenly onto the thighs.
- Put the tray in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for 1 hour. During this time, every 15 minutes, baste the thighs with the sauce that forms in the tray and push the vegetables underneath into the sauce if they're not well positioned, especially those on the edges. An intense orange, very aromatic sauce will form in the tray that should cover the vegetables (these will simmer in the sauce, they won't brown at all).
If after 30 minutes you see there's too little sauce, drizzle 50 ml of hot water along the edge of the dish. I used a dish that fit the meat snugly and didn't need to add water. - If desired, when the meat is done, remove the tray from the oven and pour the cream directly into the sauce. Shake the tray to mix the cream well into the sauce so it becomes slightly creamy.
- Serve warm with mashed potatoes or wide pasta. It's good reheated.
