I’ve always liked the combination of bulgur and chicken, but even I was surprised at how well this dish turned out. The sweetness of the fennel and a couple of light, citrus-y spices make for a brilliant flavour combination.
This recipe is simple, but there are a few things happening simultaneously, so apologies in advance to whoever is doing the washing up at yours. The process also dictates that things need to happen in a certain order, so make sure to at least skim through the quick instructions before getting a start.
Roasting the fennel takes the longest, so that’s the first step. While that’s cooking, move on to the poached chicken and, finally, the bulgur, which will need the poaching liquid from the chicken for flavour.
If you’ve got freekeh around from making root vegetable soup, you can use it here in place of the bulgur. It’ll provide even more layers of flavour. Spelt, barley or another grain should also work well if you don’t have bulgur at hand. The cooking time and amount of liquid may need to be adjusted. (Rule of thumb: Harder and larger grains need more liquid and cooking time.)
Dill works wonders here, but if you can get your hands on fennel with the leafy fronds still intact, those are excellent, too. You can also use another herb you like – coriander (cilantro) or lemon balm, for example.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Dinner | Turkish-inspired | 2–3 servings
Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil (I use a mild extra virgin)
1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed in a mortar
1 tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed in a mortar
1 handful of dill, or herbs from the fennel stalk
salt and pepper
Roasted fennel
3 Tbsp olive oil (I use a mild extra virgin)
2 large fennel bulbs (or 3–4 smaller ones), cut into 6-8 wedges each
50 ml water (¼ cup)
salt and pepper
Poached chicken & broth
1 slice of lemon
1 bay leaf
400 g chicken fillets (scant ½ lbs)
water
salt
Bulgur
175 g coarse bulgur (or freekeh, barley, spelt, etc.) (â…˜ cup)
350 ml stock (broth), from poached chicken (or fresh, salted water) (1½ cups)
How I make it (quick version)
Preheat oven to 220°C (430°F).
Roast fennel with olive oil, water, salt and pepper until tender and caramelised, 45 minutes or more.
Poach chicken in salted water with lemon and bay leaf, then shred.
Cook bulgur in measured chicken broth until tender, about 10 minutes.
Fry fennel seeds and coriander seeds in olive oil. Mix in cooked bulgur and shredded chicken. Sauté until heated.
Serve topped with oven-baked fennel and dill.
How I make it
Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F).
Mix fennel with 3 Tbsp olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet, then add 50 ml (¼ cup) water. Bake in the middle of the oven until tender and caramelised in some places, anywhere from 45 minutes to well over an hour. Turn the fennel a couple of times during cooking.
Meanwhile, bring a small pot of water with lemon slice and bay leaf to a boil. There should be enough water to comfortable cover the chicken later. Salt the water as if it were soup. As soon as it boils, add chicken fillets, cover and take off the heat. Leave to poach for 20 minutes. Remove the chicken and shred into bite-sized pieces. Strain and save the broth, but discard the lemon slice and bay leaf.
In a saucepan, combine bulgur and 350 ml (1½ cups) of the poached chicken stock (broth). Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and let it simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let it sit until the fennel is ready.
When the fennel is ready, heat a large, thick-bottomed frying pan or pot over medium heat. Fry the fennel seeds and coriander seeds in 2 Tbsp olive oil for a few seconds. Add the cooked bulgur and mix well, then add the chicken and mix well again. Keep on the heat for as long as it needed to heat everything through, stirring occasionally. Finally, stir in most fennel along with its cooking juices.
Serve hot or warm, topped with the remaining fennel and a generous sprinkle of dill.
Serving suggestion
I like eating this one as is, with only a simple, seasonal fresh salad alongside. A good handful of bitter green leaves goes a long way. It’s best suited for lunch, but can also be a light dinner, if you prefer.
Notes
The recipe was developed using European measurements. US measurements and How I make it (quick version) have been added with the assistance of ChatGPT, but edited for quality and accuracy by me.