Olive Oil Poached Chicken

Olive Oil Poached Chicken

  1.  Toast the fennel seeds, peppercorns and star anise in a frying pan and allow to cool.
  2. Combine with the chicken thighs, rosemary and salt. 3tsp of salt if you don’t want to wash the chicken before you cook it. If you add more salt you will have to rinse the chicken before you cook it but you will draw out more of the moisture from the chicken which will be replaced by the olive oil (AKA flavour) when you cook it.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.
  4. Bring the room chicken up to room temperature by removing it from the fridge 30 minutes before you start cooking it.
  5. Pre heat your oven to 135 degrees
  6. Brush off excess salt and seasonings (don’t be too fussy) and place in a heavy casserole dish skin side up.
  7. Cover with oil and cover container with lid or tinfoil
  8. Bake in oven for 2 ½ hours
  9. Allow to cool slightly before removing from oil with a slotted spoon, dry excess oil off with paper towels and serve.
  10. For crispy chicken take lid off and turn up the own to 180 degrees for 5 minutes

Ever enjoyed confit duck at a restaurant and wanted to recreate the taste and finger licking salty/oily goodness then this is the recipe for you.

You can save the oil for next time by allowing it to cool and straining the oil through a sieve and pouring the oil of any other liquid that is present and keeping in the fridge or freezer.