CHICKEN WITH CHORIZO AND FENNEL

Chicken with Chorizo and Fennel (serves 4)

Marsh Pig's spicy chorizo gives a fabulous depth of flavour to this easy supper dish. Some crusty bread is perfect for mopping up the paprika-scented juices.

You will need a roasting tin big enough to take the chicken in a single layer.

Ingredients for the marinade:

2-3 medium garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

Zest of 1 lemon

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tspn fennel seeds, lightly crushed

A good grind of black pepper

Plus:

8 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on

1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil

75g Marsh Pig whole Hot Chorizo, cut into fat dice

2 large fresh fennel bulbs

6 cloves of garlic, unpeeled

1 lemon (use the one you zested)

1 tspn fennel seeds

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

A splash of Pernod and a small glass of white wine or sherry

Method:

Slash the chicken thighs to the bone. Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl and add the chicken, massaging the mixture all over it and into the cuts. Cover and marinate for a minimum of one hour, up to four.

Trim the fingers and base from the fennel bulbs, discarding any tough out leaves and reserving the fronds for garnish. Slice in half lengthways, then into quarters, cutting out the hard root but leaving the segments attached.

Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.

Put the roasting tin on the hob on a medium heat with a tablespoon of oil. Cook the diced chorizo until the oil runs. Remove and set aside. Lightly brown the chicken on both sides in the oil – you're aiming to colour it, not cook it through.

Add the fennel and turn it in the oil, then pour off and discard the excess oil. Slice he lemon thinly. Arrange the chicken skin-side up in a single layer, add the chorizo back to the pan and tuck the unpeeled garlic cloves and lemon slices around. Grind over salt and pepper and sprinkle with the extra fennel seeds.

Bake in the pre-heated oven, uncovered, for about 30-40 minutes, turning the fennel halfway through.