Chicken with fennel, harissa & olives

Name: Chicken with fennel, harissa & olives
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 4 h 25 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 1.2 kg whole chicken; 1 onion, thinly sliced; 2 fennel bulbs, quartered; 3 clove/s garlic, thinly sliced; 2 tbsp rose harissa; 200 ml white wine; 400 g can chopped tomatoes; 40 g sachet Colman’s Chicken Casserole Recipe Mix; 1 bay leaf (optional); 60 g pitted Kalamata olives; 25 g packflat leaf parsley, leaves chopped

This simple chicken stew is big on flavour and low on effort thanks to some savvy ingredients and slow-cooker magic. It’s served with buttery polenta, but rice or mash are just as good.

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Serves4
CourseMain meal
Prepare25 mins
Cook4 hrs
Total time4 hrs 25 mins

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Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1.2kg whole chicken
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 fennel bulbs, quartered
3 clove/s garlic, thinly sliced
2 tbsp rose harissa
200ml white wine
400g can chopped tomatoes
40g sachet Colman’s Chicken Casserole Recipe Mix
1 bay leaf (optional)
60g pitted Kalamata olives
½ x 25g packflat leaf parsley, leaves chopped

Polenta

1.2 L milk
200g quick-cook polenta
30g unsalted butter
30g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated

Method

Heat the oil in a nonstick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken, breast-side down, and fry for 5-7 minutes or until the skin is deep golden brown. Meanwhile, fill the kettle and bring to the boil.
Set up your slow cooker. Put in the chicken, then the onion, fennel and garlic. In a jug, mix the harissa, wine, tomatoes, casserole mix and 300ml just-boiled water; season, then pour over. Add the bay leaf, if using, cover and cook for 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low, adding the olives for the final 30 minutes. The chicken will be cooked through with the juices running clear and no pink meat. Turn on the reduction button, open the lid and reduce on high for a further 30-40 minutes; season. (If your cooker doesn’t have this function, reduce in a pan on the hob.)
About 10 minutes before serving, bring the milk to a simmer in a pan. Whisk in the polenta until thickened (about 5 minutes). Add the butter and cheese; season. Lift the chicken from the cooker onto a board. Using a sharp knife, remove the legs, then thickly slice the breast. Arrange on a platter with the veg, olives and cooking juices. Scatter over the parsley and serve with the polenta.

And to drink...

Yealands Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand. This wine is bursting with passionfruit, lime and fresh herb flavours; it complements the bold chicken dish well.