Chicken Fennel Tomato Ragout Recipes

Steps:

• Toss the chicken breasts with the salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Heat a medium Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan and heat an additional 30 seconds. Add the onion, garlic and fennel to the hot pan. Season with salt and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are beginning to soften and are fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the oregano and garlic powder to the vegetables and stir to combine. Continue to cook until the vegetables are translucent and beginning to brown slightly, another 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes to the pan along with the vinegar. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Using the back of a wooden spoon, crush the tomatoes into medium-sized pieces. Simmer for 10 minutes while you start the chicken.
• Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining tablespoon olive oil and heat an additional 30 seconds. Add the chicken to the hot skillet and cook, undisturbed, until deep golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook until the chicken is evenly browned on both sides, an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully ladle the tomato mixture over and around the chicken, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and butter and cook to heat through, 2 more minutes. Did you taste it? Season with additional salt, garlic powder or garlic salt if needed. Stir in the basil and serve topped with Parmesan, if desired.

Steps:

• Trim the green tops off the fennel and reserve. Halve, then quarter the fennel, cut out the core, then cut lengthways into slices.
• Prepare the chicken for cooking by seasoning with salt, pepper, paprika and crushed fennel seed.
• Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet, add the chicken, then fry quickly until lightly opaque and browned for about 2 minutes. (Note the chicken will not be cooked through.) Add the fennel, onions and garlic, then stir briefly until the fennel has a bit of color - as much from cooking as from taking on the spices from the chicken bites.
• Add in the potatoes, diced roasted tomatoes, broth and a tomato paste, and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 15 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender to the fork but not breaking apart.
• Stir in the roasted peppers and heat through.
• Roughly chop the reserved fennel fronds, about 1 tablespoon or so, then sprinkle over the ragout. Serve in shallow bowls or plates with high lips along with crusty bread for mopping up the juices.

Steps:

• Put the oil in a wide saucepan or deep skillet that will fit six thighs snugly and turn the heat to medium. Add the bacon and cook it until it's crisp, 5 to 6 minutes, then, using a slotted spoon, transfer it to a small bowl.
• Sprinkle the chicken generously with salt. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the chicken, skin-side down, to begin to brown. After 3 or 4 minutes, turn it and cook for another 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the fat.
• Add the onion and fennel and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and just starting to turn golden, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the thyme and cook for another minute or so.
• Pour in wine and simmer, stirring and scraping up any browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Reduce the wine by half, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the bacon and then the chicken with any accumulated juices, skin-side up, keeping the thighs in a single layer. Pour in enough water to almost cover the chicken.
• Bring to a simmer and then turn the heat down so the liquid is bubbling very gently. Partially cover with a lid, setting it so some steam can escape. Cook until the chicken is tender, about 45 minutes.
• Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool. Once you can handle it, remove the bones and skin and shred the chicken by hand.
• If you are serving the ragù over pasta, get your water going: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions, reserving 1 cup pasta water before draining.
• Add milk to the pan and turn the burner to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until sauce is nearly reduced by half and slightly thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the shredded chicken back to the pan and season with salt and pepper.
• Stir in the butter, then the Parmesan. If serving over pasta, add some of the starchy pasta water if the sauce seems too thick.
• Add the parsley, and toss sauce with the pasta, if using. Pass more Parmesan at the table.

Steps:

• In a large, deep skillet, combine tomatoes, fennel, and wine; season with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken breasts in a single layer on top of vegetables, allowing as much space between pieces as possible; season with salt and pepper.
• Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover skillet, and simmer gently until chicken is opaque throughout, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Slice chicken breasts, and serve on top of vegetable mixture; garnish with reserved fennel fronds.
• To slice fennel, remove stalks and fronds. Halve bulb lengthwise through the root. Cut out tough part of core from each half, and discard. Thinly slice crosswise (for most tender pieces).