Ingredients
Serves 41 litre chicken stock
2 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
2 medium fennel bulbs
1 tbsp fennel pollen
2 tbsp green fennel seeds
2 tbsp mint leaves
2 small red chilli, finely chopped
2 lemon, zest and juice
125ml extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly milled pepper
Fennel Tzatziki
250ml Greek yoghurt
¼ tsp salt
½ cup fennel bulb, finely shredded
2 tsp fennel fronds, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Cooking spray
Method
Fennel has the same cooling properties as cucumbers, so I have made it the star of a simple chicken salad, adding wild fennel pollen, seeds and fronds which, while considered a weed, are free if you know where to look.
The method for cooking the chicken results in very tender meat. Allow the salad to marinate for at least an hour or two before you serve it to let the flavours meld.
Chicken Salad
Bring the stock to a simmer in a pot with a lid. Turn the heat off and drop the chicken breasts in. Make sure they are submerged and pop the lid on. The breast should take around 20 minutes to cook. Meanwhile, chop or slice the fennel bulb into small pieces and combine with all remaining ingredients.
When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred into pieces with your hands. Mix everything together, cover and allow to stand at room temperature for an hour before eating. You can also store overnight in the fridge. Serve with the fennel tzatziki.
Fennel Tzatziki
Spoon yogurt onto several layers of paper towel and spread out to 1cm thickness. Cover with additional paper towels and stand for 5 minutes. Scrape into a bowl using a rubber spatula. Add salt, shredded fennel bulb, chopped fennel fronds, and garlic.