Lebanese Lemon Chicken

adapted from Jamie’s Kitchen

submitted by Jan Chernoff

preparation time: 90 minutes

serves 4

1 large chicken, cut for sautéing (or 4 chicken breasts)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon sea salt

3 heaping tablespoons flour

extra virgin olive oil

1 large bulb of fennel, roughly chopped, save the tops

1 red onion, peeled and roughly chopped

2 or 3 small preserved lemons, chopped

1 small bunch of fresh rosemary, roughly chopped

⅔ cup farika or bulghur wheat

1 wineglass of tequila, vodka, or white wine

2 cups (or more) chicken stock or water

1 small tub of sour cream or crème fraiche

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Bash all the spices up with a mortar and pestle with the salt until you have a fine powder. Add flour and mix together well.  Rub this intensely flavored flour all over your chicken and in every crack and cranny.  Reserve any of the flour left over.

Heat an appropriately sized casserole-type pan or a roasting pan, on the stove-top and add 5 tablespoons of olive oil.  Begin to brown your chicken pieces on all sides – you want them to fry in one layer.  Once they are nicely colored, remove to a plate, turn down the heat and then add fennel, onion, preserved lemons and rosemary to the pan.  Fry for about 5 minutes, until nice and softened.  Then add any excess flavored flour and farika or bulghur wheat, and give it a good stir.

Add tequila, vodka, or wine and allow to cook down to leave a fabulous fresh and fragrant taste.  Cover with chicken stock or water until it reaches the same level as the grains and the vegetables.  Now you need to make a cartouche (a piece of parchment paper cut to the size of your pan).  Run it under the tap to make it flexible, then rub it with olive oil so it doesn’t stick.  Place the cartouche over the grains and vegetables in the pan and put the chicken on top.  Place in the preheated oven and cook for 45 minutes, until the chicken skin is really crisp.  Sometimes the grains start to burn on the bottom and they get a little bit of color.  Serve straight away with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraiche and sprinkle with the chopped fennel tops if you have them