Cook and Drink

We start 2024 with a series of simple and tasty recipes. It’s such fun to prepare delicious food with only a handful of ingredients. James Tanner is author of Takes 5: Delicious Dishes Using Just 5 Ingredients with over 90 recipes, ranging from Roasted Red Bell Peppers with Anchovies to Scones. Short shopping lists, easy recipes and tasty results: what more can you ask for!

This dish combines fennel with chicken, pancetta and sage. The mild anise flavour of the fennel works very well with the pancetta. The aromatic, slightly bitter flavour of sage is great with the chicken. And believe it or not, after having simmered in butter for some 15 minutes the dish comes together. Rich, fresh and uplifting.

Wine Pairing

A light to medium bodied red wine will be great with the dish. Unoaked, fruity, not too complex: a wine made with Pinot Noir, Tempranillo or perhaps a red wine from the Beaujolais.

What You Need

• Organic Chicken Thighs (boneless)
• Small Fennel
• 6 Leaves of Sage
• Pancetta
• Butter
• Black Pepper

What You Do

Halve the thighs and fry in butter. In the meantime dice the fennel. When the chicken is nicely coloured, add the fennel. Combine, wait for a few minutes. Dice the pancetta, devein and chop the sage. Add to the pan and allow to simmer on low heat for some 15 minutes. Add fresh black pepper just before serving. You could decorate with some fennel leaves.

PS

Takes 5: Delicious Dishes Using Just 5 Ingredients was published in 2010 and is available (probably second hand) via the well-known channels for something like 20 US dollar or Euro.