Chicken, Orange and Fennel Traybake

Here's another from Nigella Lawson. It was delicious and the house smelled divine. We didn't eat all of the bed of fennel, but Oreo gobbled it all up and is healthier for it!

The most important thing to know is that the chicken and fennel marinate for 24 hours or overnight. So prepare this in advance. 

2 large fennel bulbs, sliced lengthwise into manageable strips (remove tubers and fronds, reserving the fronds for garnish)

8 - 10 large chicken thighs, with skin and bone

Prepare the marinade and place chicken, and fennel, and marinate in a plastic bag in layers. Release most of the air so that the marinade is touching the chicken and fennel. Turn the bag over several times during the day so that all chicken and fennel have been covered in it.

Marinade: 6 T. olive oil; the zest of one orange and juice of the orange and a lemon. Lawson calls for 2 Seville oranges and no lemon (juice and zest); 2 tsp. sea salt flakes; 4 tsp. fennel seeds; 4 tsp. Dijon mustard. 

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the fennel in a lasagne-type oven pan. Place the chicken thighs on top, using all the marinade to pour over the meat and fennel. Drizzle one T. of oil over the chicken skin. 

Bake for 1 hour. Remove fennel to a warm serving plate and arrange chicken on top. Heat the remaining marinade and juices to boiling, about 2 minutes. Pour over the dish. Garnish with fronds.

I served with roasted petite potatoes and sherried, buttered carrots.