When the goin’ gets tough the though get choppin’ (Fennel Chicken and Stove-Braised Butter Beans)

Ok. I’ll admit it. I had a down right lousy day. We all have ‘em. Technology issues. People issues. Schedule issues. Pick one. Pick ‘em all. That’s why the call it work and not play, eh?

Luckily cases of the work-a-day blues are few and far between. That’s not the “Hollyanna” in me. My glass may be perpetually half full, but work-wise I’m normally an honest to goodness happy girl.

When the stars don’t align and I’m dealt a bad Monday, what do I do? Cook. Of course.

So as the sun set on Old Forest Creek Road, I found myself surveying the bounty of Saturday’s Farmers’ Market. Fresh butter beans. The youngest, sweetest fennel you’ve ever seen. Organic chick thighs...

Throw that woman a shallot, Johnny, and let’s get cookin’!

If I do say so myself, the results were pretty darn good. An omen for the day that will be tomorrow. For now, I’ll capture the recipes and give them to you…

As always,

Enjoy.

Two recipes today: Chicken & Fennel; and Stove Braised Butter Beans. Serve with wild rice cooked with beef or chicken stock rather than water.

Chicken and Fennel

Serves 2 with leftovers. You do the math for a larger group.

Ingredients

• 4 chicken thighs – boned and skinned
• ½ shallot, sliced thin
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 young bulbs fennel (about 1 cup) sliced
• 6 crimini mushrooms, sliced
• Olive Oil to coat a large skillet
• 1 to 1.5 cups cup chicken stock
• 1 Tbs dried thyme
• Kosher salt
• Fresh cracked pepper
• 1 tsp butter

Method

• Heat a large skillet with a lid
• While the pan is heating season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper and a pinch or two of the thyme
• Coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil
• Add the chicken and brown both sides
• Now add the shallot and cook until soft
• Next add the garlic, fennel, mushrooms and remainder of the thyme
• Sauté until all veg are getting soft.
• Now add the chicken stock, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan
• Bring to a boil and cover for 20 minute
• At the 20-minute mark, check the chicken for doneness (juices should run clear)
• Lower heat and add the butter to the remaining mixture.
• Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed
• Keep warm until you serve.

Stove Braised Butter Beans

Full disclosure – until I went to the Farmers’ Market here I had never seen a fresh butter bean. Until tonight I’d never cooked one. Steve tells me they are really good. I humbly have to agree.

Ingredients

• 1-½ cup fresh butter beans
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• ½ shallot, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 ½ cup chicken stock
• 2 tsp fresh thyme
• 1 tsp butter
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

• Heat a large saucepan with a lid
• Add the oil
• Add the shallot, pinch of salt, few grinds of pepper and cook until soft
• Add the garlic, butter beans and thyme and sauté until the butter beans are just starting to look soft (about 5 minutes)
• Add the broth. It should just cover the beans.
• Bring to a boil, cover, lower the heat and cook for 25 minutes
• Check for doneness. The beans should be soft but not mushy.
• Stir in the butter.
• Keep warm until you serve