Roasted lemon chicken with aromatic Winter vegetables

Fragrant, delicious, very hearty and filling, this recipe will become one of your favourite roasts! Fennel gives such a delicate taste and aroma to the whole dish and that makes it a bit more special than the classic roast chicken

Recipe of Kostas Tsigas,
"Cook Book" magazine of "ETHNOS" newspaper (2010)

Ingredients (for 6-8 people):
1 chicken (about 1 ½Kg) , cut in 8 portions
1 large lemon, the juice and the zest
1 tsp of dried thyme
4 medium fennel bulbs, cut in halves
1 tsp of fennel seeds
4 tbsp of olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 tea-cup of white dry wine
1 tea-cup of chicken stock
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
4 tbsp of finely chopped celery stalks
1 celery bulb, medium chopped
4 leeks (only the white part), cut in medium rounds
all-purpose flour
salt
pepper

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Season the chicken well with salt and pepper. Lightly pass the portions through the flour.

In a spacious frying pan warm the oil on medium heat and saute the chicken until it is nicely golden on all sides. Transfer into an oven pan.

In the same frying pan add the onions, the garlic, the celery, the celery bulb and the leeks and saute for about 10 minutes stirring frequently. Pour over with the wine and leave for 1 minute.

Empty the vegetables and the juices on and around the chicken. Add in the oven pan the fennel bulb, sprinkle with the thyme, scatter the fennel seeds, drizzle with the lemon juice, pour over with the chicken stock and sprinkle with the lemon zest.

Cover the pan with its lid or aluminium foil and put in the oven. Cook for 1 ½ hours or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables tender and left with a nice sauce.

Place on each plate half a fennel bulb, chicken and plenty of sauce and vegetables and serve.