Side salads to serve with Red With Chicken:
Red Wine Chicken with Fennel and Couscous
#poultry #Mediterranean #fennel #couscous
Foodie Lit
I love the details of life, especially from another era or from another culture. Amy Maroney handles these complexities remarkably well in her dual timeline novel. The Girl from Otto is an artful combination of genres. How did Amy accomplish this? “History, mystery, thrillers, and romance are my favorite genres, and I was writing the book I’d always wanted to read. I’ve always enjoyed romance as a component of other genres rather than as the main story. That’s what I set out to do,” Amy told me. She continued by talking about one of the goals of this novel and the others in this same series. “I really wanted to tell the world about the great women artists who did exist in early modern Europe. Ultimately, I want to illuminate some of these lost voices and stories with my fiction.” She has been able to accomplish this goal masterfully, absorbing me to the very last word! (and making me want to continue to the other books in her series!)
This Mediterranean-inspired dish is gently simmered in rich red wine paired with dried fruit, offering a delightful blend of sweet and savory flavors from the fennel and onion. The chicken is simmered with warm spices and dry red wine and is simple enough to make for a weeknight meal and delicious enough for company or a special weekend dinner. Serve it on a fluffy bed of couscous and accompany it with a fresh green salad for a-well rounded meal. Enjoy the fabulous balance of tastes and textures that will transport you to the sun-soaked shores of the Mediterranean!
Red Wine Chicken with Fennel and Couscous
Servings 2
2 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs or 4 chicken drumsticks
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 fennel bulb, sliced thinly
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 cup dried apricots
1/4 cup prunes
1/4 cup golden raisins
Spices
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ginger
Pinch nutmeg
1 cup red wine
1 cup chicken broth
For the couscous
1 cup couscous
1 1/4 cups hot water
1 teaspoon salt
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Sprinkle chicken generously with salt and pepper. Heat a cast iron casserole or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and brown chicken on both sides. Remove from pot and reserve.
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Add fennel and onion to pot. Sauté for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until golden brown. If browning too quickly, reduce heat to medium. Add dried fruit and spices and sauté another two minutes.
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Put chicken back in pot and add wine and broth. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer for one hour.
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Taste chicken and sauce and adjust seasoning as needed. Simmer another 15 minutes with lid ajar to thicken sauce. Remove from heat. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
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Prepare couscous by boiling water and adding the couscous. Follow directions on container. Drain and then break up with a fork. add a bit of oil or margarine to keep from sticking.
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Serve the chicken, fennel and sauce over the couscous.
Expandthetable suggestions
Gluten free: Use quinoa in place of couscous.
Adapted from Recipe by Vered Guttman
