Pre heat your oven to 180c.
Take a large deep baking dish (I used a cast iron pot) with a lid and add half of the rice to the bottom of the pan.
Take the fennel and remove the core with a knife. Chop off the stalk ends and set them aside. Now slice the fennel lengthways finely. Scatter half of the sliced fennel over the top of the rice in the baking dish.
Scatter over the top of the fennel half of the chopped rosemary, thyme and parsley along with half of the capers and half of the artichokes. Place three of the chicken thigh cutlets on top of the herbs and capers and season the top of the chicken well.
Repeat the layers again using up the remaining ingredients – brown rice, fennel, then the herbs, capers, artichokes finishing with the last of the chicken. Top the chicken with any left over herbs laying around and season well with salt and pepper. Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil over the chicken. Set aside.
Place the sun-dried tomatoes, water, garlic, chilli, left over fennel stems and parsley stems in a blender. Season really well with salt and pepper and blend till all homogenised. Taste for seasoning and adjust.
Pour around 2/3 of the liquid carefully over the layered rice, fennel and chicken. Basically add in as much liquid as the dish will take at this time. Any left over liquid set aside, as you will be adding it in as the dish cooks.
Cover the baking dish with a lid and place in the oven for … You will need to take the baking dish out at the 30 minute mark and add a bit more liquid, then again another 20 minute later until all the liquid has been added.
After 75 – 80 minutes (1 hour & 15 minutes) remove the baking dish from the oven and have a peek with a spoon in the centre to ensure the rice is cooking. If you feel it’s a little dry then just add a little water into the centre area and place back in the oven.
After 1 hour & 45 minutes, remove from the oven and have a quick check of the centre to ensure all the rice is cooked through. Pop the lid back on and leave to rest for 5 – 10 minutes, then serve.
Lovely served with fresh rocket dressed with apple cider vinegar and evoo.
nutrional information
- Make this recipe FODMAP and SIBO friendly by using garlic infused oil instead of the garlic clove. Omit the artichokes if sensitive, but often they are fine for those sensitive to fodmaps using the jarred/canned versions. Cant do brown rice? Make this dish with millet instead for an easy swap.
Could you make this in a slow cooker instead? I don’t have a cast iron dish . .
Hi Amanda! Yes for sure, it would work just as well in a slow cooker. I’d pop the slow cooker on low all day to come home to it at night ready to go. ps. sorry for the late reply, the website is under construction with a new platform so there is a fair bit going on here. xo
I would prepare the rice separately …braising the chicken, veggies, herbs in wine, chicken stock.
Would be fine to prepare this way also Vicky! 🙂