Poached chicken with roasted fennel

Method

1. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Add in the fennel halves and cook briskly for 10 minutes. Drain, pat dry and cut into wedges.

2. Preheat the oven to 170°C/gas 3.

3. Heat the olive oil for pan-frying in a heavy-based frying pan. Add in the fennel wedges. Fry until golden.

4. Transfer the fennel to a roasting dish and roast for 30 minutes in the oven.

5. Meanwhile, place the anchovy fillets and fennel seeds in a pestle and mortar and grind together into a paste.

6. Mix the anchovy paste with the olive oil, then the lemon juice and lemon zest to taste, capers and chopped parsley. Season with freshly ground pepper and set aside.

7. After the fennel has been roasting for 15 minutes, place the chicken stock, parsley stalks, onion and carrot in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil.

8. Add in the chicken breast fillet. Remove the pan from direct heat at once and set aside for 5 minutes until cooked through. Drain the chicken and slice.

9. Meanwhile, just before the fennel completes its roasting time, sprinkle over the garlic and sugar. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and cook briefly in the oven.

10. Drizzle the anchovy dressing over the poached chicken and serve with the roasted fennel.