Chicken Salad with Fennel Spice
- 1 chicken, about 3 1/2 pounds
- 3 tablespoons Fennel Spice Rub, recipe follows, plus 1 1/2 teaspoons
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 6 tablespoons
- 1 large celery rib, halved
- 1 large carrot, halved
- 1 large yellow onion, quartered
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced celery heart
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 to 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- Sea salt, preferably gray, and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
- Lay out the chicken, spreading out the parts as much as possible.
- Cover generously with 3 tablespoons of the fennel spice, rubbing it into the skin.
- Place a large pot over medium-high heat.
- When the pan is hot, add 6 tablespoons of the oil and heat to almost smoking.
- Add the chicken and brown on all sides, about 5 to 6 minutes per side.
- Add the celery, carrot, onion and bay leaves and saute for a few minutes.
- Add 4 cups of water to the pot, or enough to cover the chicken.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and cook just until the chicken is almost fully cooked, about 40 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and cover and let cool.
- When pan has cooled, place in the fridge overnight.
- Lift out the cooled chicken and strain the stock, discarding the solids.
- Refrigerate or freeze the chicken stock for another use.
- Remove the skin and bones from the chicken.
- Shred the meat by hand into rough bite-size pieces.
- In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, celery heart, red onion, 6 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons Fennel Spice Rub, and salt and pepper, to taste.
- Add more oil, lemon juice, or Fennel Spice Rub, if desired.
- Add the basil and serve.
- 1 cup fennel seeds
- 3 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 2 tablespoons white peppercorns
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- Put the fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns in a heavy pan over medium heat.
- Watch carefully, tossing frequently so the seeds toast evenly.
- When light brown and fragrant, pour the seeds onto a plate to cool.
- They must be cool before grinding, or they will gum up the blades.
- Pour the seeds into a blender and add the salt.
- Blend to a fine powder, shaking the blender occasionally to redistribute the seeds.
- Store in a tightly sealed glass jar in a cool, dry place, or freeze.
- Yield: about 1 1/4 cups
chicken, fennel spice rub, extravirgin olive oil, celery, carrot, yellow onion, bay leaves, celery heart, red onion, lemon juice, salt, fresh basil
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/michael-chiarello/chicken-salad-with-fennel-spice-recipe.html (may not work)