Piquant Chicken Provençal with Fennel Seeds

Ingredients

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup pitted Niçoise olives
• 1 orange zest strip, about 2 inches long
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Method

1. 1

   Pat the chicken thighs dry and season both sides with salt and pepper.

2. 2

   Heat olive oil in a 9-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken thighs skin-side down until golden, about 6 minutes, then flip and sear 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.

   6:00 · Sear chicken
3. 3

   Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and fennel bulb to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes.

   8:00 · Soften onion and fennel
4. 4

   Add garlic, crushed fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

   1:00 · Toast spices
5. 5

   Pour in the white wine and simmer, scraping up any browned bits, until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.

   3:00 · Reduce wine
6. 6

   Stir in diced tomatoes, chicken broth, olives, orange zest strip, and bay leaf. Nestle the chicken thighs into the sauce, skin-side up.

7. 7

   Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken is tender and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, about 30 minutes.

   30:00 · Simmer chicken
8. 8

   Remove bay leaf and orange zest strip. Taste the sauce and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

9. 9

   Sprinkle with fresh parsley and thyme before serving.