Medieval Fennel Chicken

December 20, 2018

Andy Muto, Wellness Chef & Food Director at Gary Roberts High Performance Training, gives us the lowdown on a classic winter recipe. And when we say classic, we mean…very old. Try this whole dinner with our chicken packages available here, and remember to tag us with #NIKUCooks when you try it at home. Happy holidays!

Medieval Fennel Chicken

I’m always looking for authentic recipes and never being content with faux contributions. One day in one of my more extensive searches, I dug for hours looking for a traditional English recipe for chicken. My search led me to a tattered book from 1752 full of illegible notes. It was a cookbook written by the personal chef of King George II! I had to decipher the poor spelling, but I had no problem seeing the genius behind this man’s creativity. The paste he used to flavor the chicken was brilliant. It makes a fantastic marinade for this season because the flavours and scents fill the house with warmth, comfort, and memories! I could go on and on…just try the recipe. Like me, it will become a mainstay for entertaining in your home. Try it with a NIKU whole chicken.

Medieval Paste

• 15 Cinnamon Quills or 8 tbsp Spoons of Ground Cinnamon
• 1 tbsp Cloves
• 2 tbsp Fennel seeds
• 1 2” piece of fresh Ginger (peeled)
• Pinch of Saffron
• 1 cup of White Wine

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until it thickens. Don’t be fooled by the brownish, unattractive look. The flavor and scent is unbelievable!

Chicken

• 1 Fennel Bulb cut into strips
• 1 cup White Wine
• 1 Whole Orange cut into wedges
• Medieval Paste

Method

With your hand, rub the paste all over chicken trying to get under the skin where possible. Be generous in applying it to the bird. Take sliced fennel and stuff chicken. Place the bird in baking pan, pour in some white wine. Surround the bird with some remaining fennel and Orange wedges.

Bake at 375F for 45 minutes to just over an hour (depending on size). Use thermometer to determine safe temperature for serving.

When fully cooked, remove from heat and let cool. Coarsely cut chicken into pieces, combining stuffing and chicken together. Serve on a Tuscan style ceramic plate to add the final touch to a dish full of history, character and memorable flavor!

Persimmon Winter Salad

A fantastically simple salad to serve as an appetizer, with some warm whole grain bread, or part of a chicken dinner.

Ingredients

• 4 fuyu persimmons, washed and sliced into bite size moons
• Some fresh Arugula
• Fresh Marjoram sprigs
• Pomegranate seeds (optional)
• Olive Oil
• Fig Balsamic

Fig Balsamic: Quick Method

• ¼ cup of good quality Balsamic Vinegar
• 4 dried figs
• Pinch of Nutmeg
• Pinch of Marjoram

Blend the ingredients and puree until smooth and creamy.

Fig Balsamic: Reduction Method

• 2 cup of good quality Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 dried figs
• Pinch of Nutmeg
• Pinch of Marjoram

Put balsamic and figs, marjoram and nutmeg in saucepan and gently stew until it begins to thicken. Cool, and use as a beautiful condiment on everything!

Salad Method

Place sliced persimmons in a mixing bowl. Add a few leaves of fresh arugula, a drizzle of olive oil and fig balsamic. Mix well. On a serving platter, place a few more fresh green leaves. Pour marinated persimmon mixture on top of leaves. Sprinkle marjoram all over. Drizzle fig balsamic in a decorative manner. Add a few pomegranate seeds to bring out some brilliant red to a phenomenal orange dish!