Go Back
Print
Braised Onion Fennel Chicken with Brown Butter and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Braised Onion Fennel Chicken with Brown Butter and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Braised Onion Fennel Chicken with Brown Butter and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes - a delicious, slow-cooked comfort food meal with plenty of familiar, homestyle flavour.
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 575 kcal
Author Barry C. Parsons

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds of chicken thighs or breasts well trimmed of excess fat and skin
  • salt and pepper to season the chicken
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 cloves roughly chopped garlic
  • 2 large white sweet onions thinly sliced (Vidalia onions are a good choice)
  • 1/2 large fennel head thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup white wine or chicken stock
  • 4 springs fresh thyme or 1 1/2 tbsp dry thyme
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt

For the Brown Butter and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

  • 1/2 head garlic
  • 2 1/2 pounds of russet or blue potatoes
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup butter only real butter works here

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
  2. Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat and brown the chicken thighs or breasts on both sides. Remove the chicken and set aside.
  3. To the skillet add the chopped garlic, onions & fennel.
  4. Cook the onions, fennel and garlic for a few minutes until they begin to soften, then transfer them to a covered dutch oven or medium sized roasting pan.
  5. To the pan add the wine, thyme, nutmeg, pepper and salt.
  6. Toss together well, cover and cook in the oven for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until the onions and fennel have broken down completely and start to turn brown and the chicken thighs are fall apart tender.
  7. Serve the chicken with the braised onion and fennel over Brown Butter and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

To prepare the Brown Butter and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

  1. Roast the garlic for this recipe in the last hour that the chicken is in the oven.
  2. Cut the half head of unpeeled garlic in half and place on a square of aluminum foil, cut side up. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Drizzle on a little olive oil. Bring all sides of the aluminum foil to the center and pinch together to seal. Place in the oven with the chicken for 45-60 minutes until fully softened and cooked.
  3. Peel the potatoes and boil slowly in salted water until fully cooked, about 20-25 minutes.
  4. To a small saucepan add the butter and melt over medium heat and continue to cook until all the water steams off the butter and the leftover milk solids in the butter start to go brown. At this point the butter begins to smell like caramel. Remove it quickly from the heat.
  5. Mash the potatoes together until smooth with the roasted garlic and brown butter as well as a pinch of pepper to season. You can also add a little cream if you like for extra richness.