Chicken, Fennel and Olive Tray Bake

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180°C. In this recipe the whole fennel is used. Pick any fennel fronds and reserve for garnishing, then cut the green stalks off the fennel and thinly slice. Slice the white bulb of the fennel into thin wedges, about 2cm thick.

Step 2
Peel the garlic cloves and keep whole. Cut two thin slices of lemon, then cut them in half. Keep the remaining part of the lemon for the juice.

Step 3
Place the Marylands on a plate and season with a little salt and pepper. Place a medium frypan over medium-high heat and wait for the pan to get nice and hot. Add the olive oil then place the Marylands skin-side down and fry for 7-10 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and crispy. Remove from the frypan and place on a plate.

Step 4
Reduce the heat to medium, add the fennel and sauté, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes, until the fennel starts to turn golden. Add the whole garlic cloves and olives and cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally, then pour in the white wine. Stir and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, then leave to cook for 1-2 minutes to reduce and thicken slightly.

Step 5
Squeeze in the juice from the remaining part of the lemon, add the salt and pepper and cook for 1-2 minutes, then transfer to a medium baking dish. Place the Marylands on top of the fennel, nestling them in a little, then pour the stock into the tray and place the lemon slices around the chicken.

Step 6
Cover the baking tray with aluminium foil then place in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced and the chicken and fennel are golden. To make the skin extra crispy, baste the chicken when you remove the aluminium foil.

Step 7
Remove the tray from the oven. Chop the parsley and scatter over the chicken, along with any reserved fennel fronds. Serve straight from the tray.