Chicken & Fennel in a Creamy White Wine Sauce

Hands up all those who are starting some kind of healthy eating regime now that Christmas and New Year are done & dusted? Well. that's probably most of is then. It's lovely to kick back, relax and over indulge a little over the festive period, but it's also nice to get back on the wagon and start putting a bit more of the healthy stuff inside our bodies to make us less sluggish on these cold and dark mornings.

I've been exercising over the new year and have been out for a few run/walks, including both new year's eve and new year's day, so I haven't felt too guilty about putting away a few extra calories of chocolate, but now that the husband is back to work and kids back at school it's time to eat proper, regular meals again, without any snacking on chocolate santas or reindeer in between.

This chicken dish feels very indulgent with it's creamy sauce, however with just 150ml of reduced fat creme fraiche in the sauce it's a bit kinder on the waistline than a sauce made with double cream. As is the case with many of the meals I cook, it's a very simple one pot dish that can just be thrown in the oven whilst you go off and do something more exciting - like exercising for instance!

Chicken & Fennel in a Creamy White Wine Sauce - serves 4

tbsp olive oil
4 boneless chicken breast (skin on)
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed & halved
2 large onions, peeled & quartered
small handful of fresh Thyme
ground black pepper
250ml Lindeman's Bin 95 Sauvignon Blanc
150ml reduced fat creme fraiche

• Heat the oil in a wide & shallow ovenproof pan (or you can transfer to a casserole dish)
• Place the chicken breasts in, skin side down
• Fry until the chicken skin is lightly browned
• Turn the chicken over (or transfer to the casserole dish)
• Add the onions, fennel, thyme & a few twists of black pepper
• Pour in the wine
• Cover and bake in a preheated 180C oven for 45 minutes before removing the lid and cooking for a further 15 minutes
• Ensure the chicken is cooked all the way through and the vegetables are tender
• Remove the chicken & vegetables from the pan & set aside
• Whisk the creme fraiche into the pan
• Serve the chicken & vegetables on a bed of potato and butternut squash mash & spoon the sauce over

This post has been commissioned by Lindeman's