The Dish: Kids Can Cook -- Mediterranean Chicken

The Dish: Mediterranean Chicken

INGREDIENTS:

1 whole, air cooled chicken; split down the backbone
1 small onion, sliced
½ bulb fennel, cut into ¼" slices
3 cloves garlic, smashed
¼ cup shallots, diced
2 bay leaves
8 oz crushed tomatoes, canned
8 oz tomato juice
2 lemons
3 T Olive oil 1 T Salt, kosher
1 T Salt and ground fennel blend

METHOD:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Drizzle ½ the oil into a medium to large sized pan. Lightly season all sides of the chicken with salt and place it, skin side down, into the pan. Heat over a medium flame and cook for 15 minutes, or until the skin is browned and slightly crisped.

3. Meanwhile, in another medium to large sized pan (avoid ones with rubber or plastic handles as you will need to place this pan into the oven); add the remaining oil, onion, fennel, garlic, shallots, bay leaves and heat over a low flame. Cook this mix until for 5-10 mintutes, the vegetables should be translucent and soft, but not browned.

4. Add the tomatoes and tomato juice and stir. Squeeze in the juice from one lemon.

5. Dust the partially cooked chicken with the fennel and salt mixture and place on top of the sauce, skin side up. Bring the sauce mix to a simmer, and then place the entire pan into the oven for 20 minutes to finish cooking the chicken and reduce the sauce.

6. Remove the once the chicken is cooked through, remove the pan and let the dish rest for 5-10 minutes.

7. Cut the chicken into several pieces, and plate by spooning the sauce mix onto a platter, and topping with the chicken, then fresh herbs or watercress and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.

Kids Can Cook
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