Chicken Thigh Hot Pot in Tomato, Fennel & Lemon Sauce

The time is nigh; celebrate the thigh! These days we don’t cook nearly enough with chicken thighs. Somewhere in the passing of time, the breast was given a gold star and red carpet treatment, wings followed in second place, leaving the thigh trailing behind and for the life of me, I can’t figure out why!

Chicken Thigh. It’s like a bigger, juicier, crispier wing.  Rich, dark, juicy chicken, wrapped in a crackled, crispy, salty skin. What. Is. Not. To. Like.?!

This recipe was inspired by Spanish tapas I had in Barcelona when I was there for non-maid duties (I’m a Scientist, and my job forces me to travel to sunny places like Spain… do your homework kids!! It’s worth it, I tell ya!). The dish they served to share was overflowing with prawns, mussels & cockles in a tomato sauce with fresh coriander and lemon juice, but I do love a chicken thigh and I thought they’d make a great substitute for this dish when I was cooking for family who suffer from death by prawns.

It’s fresh but smokey, warm but zesty and is simple but full of flavour, give it a go! It pairs well with a side dish of potatoes, peas and black pudding (recipe over here!)… I hope it inspires you to embrace the thigh; it’s time!

Chicken Thigh Hot Pot in Tomato, Fennel & Lemon Sauce

Ingredients

Serves 4: 

8 Chicken Thighs (Skin on)

2 Medium Fennel Bulbs, Sliced

250g Passatta Sauce

250mL Chicken Stock

1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika

1 Tsp Cinnamon

1 Tsp Sea Salt

1 Birdseye Chilli, Chopped

3 Cloves of Fresh Garlic, Thinly Sliced

1 Tsp Brown Sugar

30g Fresh Coriander, Chopped

30g Fresh Basil, Chopped

Grated Rind & Juice of 1 Lemon

2 Tbsp Broighter Gold Lemon Oil

 

Method

Preparation time: 1 hour 

Cooking time: 45-50 minutes 

Calories per serving: 301 Calories per serving (5.2g sugar)

 

Marinade the chicken, paprika, cinnamon, salt, lemon rind & 1 tbsp of oil in a bowl in the fridge for 1 hour before cooking.

In a hot, oiled pan, brown the marinated chicken thighs, skin side down first before turning to brown on the other side.

Remove the browned chicken thighs from the pan and leave to one side.

Add the fennel to the pan and cook until it softens.

Add the brown sugar, garlic, chilli, passata, stock and lemon juice to the pan and stir well.

Place the chicken thighs skin side up into the tomato sauce. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for an additional 25-30 minutes.

Garnish the dish with freshly chopped coriander and basil before serving with Black Pudding, Fried New Potatoes & Peas…!

Bueno!

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SculleryMade produces artisan goods using quality, local ingredients in Belfast. For recipe ideas using local ingredients check out our blog http://scullery-made.com 

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