Italian Chicken Thighs

Italian Chicken Thighs

Roast Chicken Thighs with potatoes, fennel, tomatoes, thyme and garlic. 

Ingredients

• 3 fennel bulbs
• 500g Charlotte potatoes, peeled and cut into 5mm slices
• 8 garlic cloves, skin on
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 8 large chicken thighs 
• 1 tbsp picked thyme leaves
• 200g cherry tomatoes, halved
• Seasoning

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Trim the fennel bulbs. Cut each vertically in half and then into 8 wedges. Cook the fennel in a pan of boiling salted water for about 5 minutes until tender. Use a slotted spoon to take the fennel out of the pan and put to one side in a bowl. Keep the water in the pan boiling.
2. Add the sliced potatoes and unpeeled garlic cloves to the boiling water and cook for about 8 minutes until tender. Drain and add to the cooked fennel.
3. Heat a shallow casserole or ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season the chicken thighs, then place them side down in the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes until there is a little colour on the skin. Turn the chicken thighs over and cook for another 2 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and remove the chicken thighs from the pan.
4. Combine the garlic, thyme and tomatoes to the fennel and potatoes with the remaining olive oil. Season to taste.
5. Tip the mixture into the hot casserole dish and spread out evenly. Leave on a low heat for about 5 minutes so the potatoes start to go slightly crispy. 
6. Place the chicken legs on top of the potato mixture. Add 2 tablespoons water to the pan, then transfer to the oven and cook for about 20 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Serve hot, straight from the pan.

If you have the Smeg Omnichef oven, the Smart Cooking programme will allow the chicken to cook in half the time. View this produt below for more details.