Roast Chicken Ragout with Braised Fennel & Thyme

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add the stock cube and stir until dissolved.

Trim the stalks from the fennel and reserve the green fronds as a garnish.

Chop the fennel into large wedges.

Halve the zucchini and then cut into wedges.

Peel and finely chop the garlic.

Peel and finely slice the onion.

Heat half of the olive oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat.

When hot, add the onion and garlic and saute for a few minutes until translucent.

Sprinkle over the saffron, half of the fresh and all of the dried thyme and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly.

Add the fennel and zucchini wedges and cook until golden, stirring occassionally.

Add the balsamic vinegar and honey and continue to turn to coat the vegetables and caramelise.

When the vegetables are well coloured and caramelised, stir in the tomato paste.

Using the correct amount of stock, gradually pour in the stock and stir through.

Cover the pan and reduce the heat to allow to simmer until the vegetables are tender (about 10-15 minutes).

In another frying pan heat the remaining oil over high heat.

Season the chicken well with salt and pepper.

Place the chicken, skin side down into the pan and cook until the skin is crisp and golden-brown.

Turn once and cook briefly on the other side of the pan.

Remove the chicken from the pan and place on a baking tray. Place the chicken in the oven to roast until cooked through (around 10-15mins).

Remove the vetetables from the heat, then distribute evenly among the serving plates.

Remove the chicken from the oven and distribute among the serving plates; serving aside the braised fennel.

Garnish the dish with the reserved fennel fronds and the remaining fresh thyme.