Estate Chardonnay and Chicken with Meyer Lemon, Fennel & Olives with Gremolata
March 15, 2010 by David
Filed under Blog, Wine & Recipe of The Month
As the days get warmer and longer it makes a nice change to enjoy some lighter fare. Colleen’s new recipe brings together a delicious melange of your favorite flavors – the zesty lemon makes a great counterpoint to the rich, buttery olives. Add in some garlic, licorice-like fennel and woodsy rosemary and you have a real treat! It makes a beautiful presentation when company’s coming, but it’s low-impact enough for a Tuesday night, too. Just a quick marinade and sauté and the oven does the rest. With a glass of our crisp, fruit-driven Estate Chardonnay, any day becomes an occasion. Cheers!
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
3 Meyer lemons, seeded, cut into wedges
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon rosemary, minced
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 large fennel bulb, 2 T. fronds reserved
1/4 cup parsley, minced
2 tablespoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup green olives
1 cup Goosecross Chardonnay
1/2 cup chicken broth
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash the chicken and pat dry. In a bowl, toss the lemon wedges, salt, garlic, rosemary, and pepper, then add the chicken and toss again. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, trim the fennel bulb and reserve 2 tablespoons fronds. Cut the fennel into 1” wedges and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in an oval skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade, and sauté until nicely browned. Add the fennel wedges, lemons with their juices, olives, wine, and broth.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 45 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and let rest up to 10 minutes.
Make the gremolata: Mince the fennel fronds and toss them with the minced parsley and lemon zest. Garnish with chicken with the gremolata and serve immediately.
Serves 4
Discover more great recipes in Colleen’s Kitchen
Purchase the 2007 Goosecross Estate Chardonnay in our online store.
I noticed you list olive oil in your Chardonnay and Chicken recipe instead of extra virgin olive oil. Does it matter which one you use? I came across this quote by Nicholas Perricone:
“Extra virgin olive oil is one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory foods in existence. Though I cannot promise you an equally long life span [as the olive tree's life span], I can assure you that you will look younger, think more clearly, be more active and, yes, extend your life if you incorporate extra virgin olive oil into your diet on a daily basis.”
Any recommendations of one over the other? Is buying extra virgin olive oil worth the extra money?
Buckets of good wishes to you,
Gracelyn Lomus
Dear Gracelyn,
I’m no expert on olive oil, but I do know that extra-virgin olive oil comes from the first pressing of the olives, is more expensive than virgin olive oil, and is said to have superior flavor. Extra virgin contains no more than 8% acidity, but heating it will cause it to lose some flavor. People like to showcase the flavors by using it drizzled over salads, on heirloom tomatoes with basil and mozzarella cheese, and as a dipping oil with bread. I think it’s worth the extra money to buy the extra virgin olive oil, but you can choose to use it sparingly to make it last longer.
Virgin olive oil is made with olives that are slighly riper than olives used to make the extra-virgin oil, has an acidity of less than 2%, and has good flavor too. It is certainly suitable to use in place of the extra virgin olive oil in the Chicken with Meyer Lemon, Fennel & Olives with Gremolata recipe. I hope you like it!
Please check out the two Fun Facts produced by Goosecross and presented by my friend Diane at “Let’s Go Cook Italian”
http://goosecross.com/2010/07/new-olive-oil-regulations/
http://goosecross.com/2010/10/we-olive-shop-for-olive-oil/
You may find this site that Diane referenced of value as well:
http://www.weolive.com/
Enjoy,
Colleen