Roasted chicken with clementines & fennel

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 3)

4 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice

2 tbsp mustard seeds, slightly crushed

3 tbsp light brown sugar

2 medium fennel bulbs (500g in total)

3 chicken thighs with the skin and on the bone (1kg in total)

4 clementines, unpeeled (400g in total), sliced horizontally into 0.5cm slices

1 tbsp thyme leaves

2½ tsp fennel seeds, slightly crushed

150ml vodka

salt and black pepper 

chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

Serve it with plainly cooked rice or bulgar.

METHOD:

1. Mix the oil, spices, sugar, orange juice and vodka in a large bowl (the baking tray is also fine). Add 2½ teaspoons of salt and 1½ teaspoons of black pepper. Whisk well and set aside.

2. Trim the fennel and cut each bulb in half lengthways. Cut each half into 4 wedges. Add the fennel to the baking bowl/tray with the chicken pieces and clementine slices. Stir well with your hands.

3. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Transfer the chicken and its marinade to a baking tray (if they are not there already :-))  large enough to comfortably accommodate everything in a single layer, the chicken skin should face up. Once the oven is hot enough, put the tray in the oven and roast for about 90 minutes, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Remove from the oven, and serve it with rice (or bulgur) and chopped parsley. The sauce is simply the best, don't forget to pour over it!