Chicken with leek and fennel

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

2 tbsp oil
10g butter
1kg chicken thighs, bone-in and skin on
2 leeks, large
2 fennel bulbs
lemon
2 tbsp flour
1l chicken or vegetable stock
parsley (optional)

Method:

1. Heat the oil and butter over a medium-high heat. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper and add to the pan and brown well on both sides. Do not crowd the pan so brown in batches if necessary.

2. Turn the heat down to medium and remove the chicken. Slice the leeks into cork sized pieces and add to the pan. Quarter the fennel bulbs and separate into their layers and add to the pan. Cook for around 5 minutes stirring often.

3. Grate in the zest of one lemon and continue to cook for a minute or so. Add the flour and cook out for a few minutes.

4. Add the chicken back to the pan along with a litre of stock. Bring up to the boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 35 minutes.

5. Finish the dish with the juice of the lemon and add fresh parsley. Enjoy with boiled potatoes and a white baguette.

(adapted from a recipe by Nigel Slater's book Eat, pg 257)