Lemon Pepper Cured Chicken With Fennel Salad Recipes

CHICKEN SALAD WITH FENNEL SPICE

Steps:

• Lay out the chicken, spreading out the parts as much as possible. Cover generously with 3 tablespoons of the fennel spice, rubbing it into the skin. Place a large pot over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add 6 tablespoons of the oil and heat to almost smoking. Add the chicken and brown on all sides, about 5 to 6 minutes per side. Add the celery, carrot, onion and bay leaves and sauté for a few minutes. Add 4 cups of water to the pot, or enough to cover the chicken. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook just until the chicken is almost fully cooked, about 40 minutes. Turn off the heat and cover and let cool. When pan has cooled, place in the fridge overnight.
• Lift out the cooled chicken and strain the stock, discarding the solids. Refrigerate or freeze the chicken stock for another use.
• Remove the skin and bones from the chicken. Shred the meat by hand into rough bite-size pieces.
• In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, celery heart, red onion, 6 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons Fennel Spice Rub, and salt and pepper, to taste. Add more oil, lemon juice, or Fennel Spice Rub, if desired. Add the basil and serve.
• Put the fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns in a heavy pan over medium heat. Watch carefully, tossing frequently so the seeds toast evenly. When light brown and fragrant, pour the seeds onto a plate to cool. They must be cool before grinding, or they will gum up the blades.
• Pour the seeds into a blender and add the salt. Blend to a fine powder, shaking the blender occasionally to redistribute the seeds. Store in a tightly sealed glass jar in a cool, dry place, or freeze.

CHICKEN WITH RED PEPPER AIOLI AND SHAVED FENNEL SALAD

Steps:

• Put the chicken in a wide pot. Add the broth, olive oil, fennel fronds, thyme, garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then add enough water to cover the chicken and turn the heat to medium low. Poach the chicken, turning occasionally and keeping the liquid just below a simmer, until just cooked through, about 30 minutes (a thermometer inserted into the center of a chicken breast should register 155 degrees F to 160 degrees F). Remove the chicken to a plate with a slotted spoon and let cool to room temperature. Increase the heat to medium high and simmer the cooking liquid until the garlic is tender, about 5 more minutes; remove the garlic and set aside. Strain the cooking liquid; reserve 1/4 cup and set aside. While the chicken is cooking, place the red peppers directly on a stovetop gas burner over high heat and char on all sides, turning with tongs, about 10 minutes. (If you don't have a gas stove, char the peppers on a baking sheet under the broiler, turning occasionally, about 12 minutes.) Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside, 20 minutes. Peel the skin off the peppers with your fingers; discard the stems and seeds and chop.
• Make the aioli: Puree about three-quarters of the roasted red peppers in a blender with the mayonnaise, reserved garlic and 1 tablespoon lemon juice until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Make the salad: Thinly slice the fennel bulbs (use a mandoline if you have one) and transfer to a large bowl. Finely chop the remaining roasted red peppers, then add to the bowl along with the parsley, the remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice and the reserved 1/4 cup cooking liquid; toss. Season with salt and pepper. Slice the chicken; top with the aioli and serve with the fennel salad. Photograph by Anna Williams

FENNEL AND PEPPER SALAD

Steps:

• On a cutting board, chop and reserve 1/4 cup fennel fronds. Trim the bulbs, cut them in half and very thinly slice by hand or with a mandoline. Transfer to a large serving bowl and add the sweet peppers, radicchio, lemon juice, a healthy douse of extra-virgin olive oil, the reserved fennel fronds, and salt and pepper, to taste. Toss and let stand for 15 minutes, then toss again and serve.

CREAMY LEMON-PEPPER ORZO WITH CHICKEN AND FIG SALAD

Steps:

• Whisk together the yogurt, 2 teaspoons of the oil, the garlic, lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a medium bowl until well combined.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil and preheat an outdoor or indoor grill to medium heat.
• Rub the chicken thighs with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Grill until nicely marked and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board at let stand for at least 5 minutes.
• Add the orzo to the boiling water and cook according to package directions for al dente, stirring in the peas the last minute of cooking. Drain the orzo and peas, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Stir the orzo and peas into the yogurt mixture, along with half of the goat cheese, 3 tablespoons of the herbs and at least three-quarters of the reserved cooking liquid, until well combined. Evenly divide among four plates.
• Thinly slice the chicken and arrange on top of the orzo. Sprinkle with the lemon zest and the remaining 1 tablespoon fresh herbs. Toss the salad greens, figs and vinaigrette together, divide evenly among four small salad plates. Sprinkle each with some of the remaining goat cheese. Serve.

LEMON-PEPPER SALAD

Steps:

• Zest the lemons into a bowl. Add the juice of the lemons with the pepper, whisk in olive oil then season the dressing with salt, to taste. Toss the tomatoes and greens with dressing and adjust seasoning.

LEMON PEPPER CHICKEN TENDERS

Steps:

• Heat the grill over medium high heat. Skewer chicken. In a shallow dish, combine lemon zest and juice with extra-virgin olive oil. Reserve 1/4 of the marinade. Coat chicken tenders in marinade and season generously on both sides with coarse black pepper. Season chicken tenders lightly with salt. Cook tenders in 2 or 3 batches, a single layer, in a very hot grill. Chicken tenders will cook 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a serving platter and brush with the reserved marinade.

CHICKEN SALAD WITH FENNEL AND CHARRED DATES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, toss together the sliced fennel, shallot and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on top, but don't stir.
• In a medium (10-inch) skillet, heat the oil over medium. Add the dates and cook, stirring halfway through, until blistered in spots, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, turn off the heat, then add the fennel seeds and red-pepper flakes. Swirl until sizzling and fragrant, then immediately pour the oil and dates over the chicken. Toss to combine. Taste and adjust with salt, pepper, red-pepper flakes and lemon juice. Top with some torn fennel fronds.

CHICKEN AND FENNEL SALAD SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Roast chickens:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
• Rinse chickens inside and out and pat dry. Stir together salt and pepper, then sprinkle over chickens inside and out. Put 1 tablespoon softened butter evenly under skin of each breast, then rub remaining tablespoon butter over skin of each. Arrange chickens in a 17- by 12-inch shallow heavy baking pan and roast, switching position of chickens and rotating pan halfway through roasting to help cook evenly, until thermometer inserted into fleshy part of each thigh (do not touch bone) registers 170°F, about 1 hour. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Discard skin and bones from chickens, then coarsely shred meat and transfer to a large bowl.
• Make dressing and assemble sandwiches:
• Stir together mayonnaise, yogurt, zest, lemon juice, fennel seeds, salt, pepper, and basil, then pour over chicken in bowl. Add chopped fennel and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
• Serve chicken salad in rolls.