Palmabella's Passions

This was a variation on the wonderful rabbit recipe I made a couple of months ago, only I made it with chicken thighs.

In a food processor or mini chopper, mix together:
4 sprigs of rosemary leaves
3 cloves of garlic
1 t. sea salt
1/2 t. black pepper
2 T. olive oil

Cover chicken with this paste and marinate all day (or even overnight).

Bring chicken to room temp, and heat oven to 350 about 2 hours before you want to eat. Cut one onion, one large head of fennel into wedges, and surround chicken pieces in pan. Add another couple cloves of garlic, split into quarters. Top with 3 oz. chopped pancetta, salt, pepper and some of the green fennel leaves, chopped. Drizzle with olive oil, and bake for 30 minutes.

Add 1/2 c. white wine, and cook another 45 min., basting with the pan juices every 15 minutes. Turn oven up to 450, and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes until chicken is brown, and veggies are caramelized.

Remove from oven, and put chicken and veggies on a warm platter in the oven while you make a pan sauce. Add 1/2 c. of wine (or chicken broth) to pan juices if necessary. I had lots of juice, so this wasn't necessary, as the chicken was jucier than the rabbit. Reduce this liquid by putting roasting pan over two burners on the stove, and bringing it to a boil. Reduce for about 10 min. on medium heat. Liquid will reduce by about half. Serve sauce along side, or drizzle over chicken. Garnish with additional chopped fennel leaves.

We had this with lemon-garlic orzo and asparagus. Boil the orzo in some chicken broth or water. Drain. Stir with 1 T. butter, shaved parmigiano, and some lemon zest.

Lemon-garlic orzo is available here: