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Sicilian roast chicken with fennel and blood oranges


Serves: 4
timePrep time: 45 mins
timeTotal time:
Sicilian roast chicken with fennel and blood oranges
Recipe photograph by Martin Poole

Sicilian roast chicken with fennel and blood oranges

This is a meal in itself and makes for an easy Sunday lunch; just serve some greens on the side

Serves: 4
timePrep time: 45 mins
timeTotal time:

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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
832Kcal
Fat
30gr
Saturates
6gr
Carbs
63gr
Sugars
37gr
Fibre
7gr
Protein
65gr
Salt
0.5gr

Sarah Randell

Sarah Randell

Our former Food Director, and previously food editor to Delia Smith, Sarah has written more than 1000 recipes for the magazine. She is also author of Family Baking and Marmalade; A Bittersweet Cookbook among others.

See more of Sarah Randell’s recipes
Sarah Randell

Sarah Randell

Our former Food Director, and previously food editor to Delia Smith, Sarah has written more than 1000 recipes for the magazine. She is also author of Family Baking and Marmalade; A Bittersweet Cookbook among others.

See more of Sarah Randell’s recipes

Ingredients

  • 700g new potatoes, such as Anya or Charlotte, any larger potatoes halved
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 medium red onions, peeled, halved and sliced into thin wedges
  • 12 unpeeled garlic cloves
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 12 small rosemary sprigs
  • 1 large or 2 small bulbs of fennel
  • 6 blood oranges
  • 4 tbsp clear honey
  • 75g pistachios
  • 1 x 1.5kg chicken, jointed into 8, or 8 bone-in chicken thighs
  • 200ml Marsala or Madeira

Step by step

Get ahead
Prepare up to the end of step 4 a few hours ahead.
  1. First put the potatoes in a saucepan, add a pinch of salt and boiling water from the kettle to just cover. Once the water has come back to the boil, simmer the potatoes for 5 minutes, then drain.
  2. Meanwhile heat half the oil in a frying pan and gently fry the onions for 8-10 minutes or until they are beginning to soften. Transfer them to a large roasting tin, about 27 x 37cm, along with the potatoes, garlic cloves, cinnamon sticks and rosemary sprigs. Trim the fennel and slice into thin wedges then add to the roasting tin with some seasoning and toss together.
  3. Juice 4 of the oranges and mix the juice with the honey in a jug. Slice the other two oranges into quarters and then cut the quarters in half widthways, flicking out and discarding any pips you see; set aside. Scatter the pistachios on a small baking tray.
  4. Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Next, season the chicken pieces. Add a 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the frying pan and lightly brown half the chicken, transferring it to the roasting tin as it is ready; repeat with the remaining oil and chicken. Tip out the excess fat from the pan and discard, return the pan to the heat and pour in the Marsala. Bring to a simmer, bubble it for a few minutes, then pour in the orange juice and honey. Bring back to a simmer, stirring, before pouring the liquid over the chicken.
  5. Bake the chicken for 45 minutes and toast the pistachios at the same temperature for 8 minutes, then set the nuts aside to cool.
  6. After the 45 minutes, add the orange wedges to the roasting tin and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes. Chop the pistachios.
  7. Transfer the contents of the tin to a large serving platter, spooning over some of the juices – pour the rest into a small jug. Scatter the nuts on top of the chicken and let everyone help themselves.

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