Casseroled chicken with fennel, potatoes, olives and preserved lemon
( SERVES 6 )

Photo by Elizabeth Clarkson

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Listener 23/8/2013

3 Tbsp	Flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
12	Free-range chicken legs, skin on
4 Tbsp	Olive oil
1	Onion, finely chopped
1 clove	Crushed garlic
6	Potatoes, small, cut into 2cm slices
2	Preserved lemons, halves, sliced lengthwise into 4 pieces
1 pinch	Saffron, soaked in 2 tbsp hot water
4	Fennel bulbs, small to medium, sliced
5.5 Ltr	Chicken stock
18	Pitted green olives
1 to garnish	Coriander sprigs, as many as you like

Preheat the oven to 180C.
Wipe any water and juices off the chicken, then dust lightly with seasoned flour.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan, then sauté the chicken until golden. Lift out and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a heavy casserole dish suitable for stovetop use, heat the remaining oil.
When hot, add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook gently until soft.
Add the potato slices and cook over a low heat for 2-3 minutes.
Add the lemon, saffron and fennel, toss well, then add the stock, chicken and olives.
Bring to a simmer, cover with a tight-fitting lid, then place the dish in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
Remove from the oven and spoon the chicken and vegetables onto a heated platter.
Reduce the juices over a fast heat on the stovetop until they thicken, then pour over the chicken.
Garnish with a few coriander sprigs.
Serve immediately with a green salad or steamed broccoli.

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