Orange Chicken Recipe with Fennel and Onions

This orange chicken recipe is made with chicken breasts and fresh orange juice for a fairly low fat and nutritious main dish. It makes a good introduction to fennel, a popular vegetable in French cooking. Serve this dish with brown rice for an extra healthy and satisfying dinner.

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Although it is not essential to this recipe, I hope you will give the fennel a try. It is a vegetable that I had never tasted before coming to France, but it quickly became one of my favorites. You may wish to review how to prepare fennel before you try this orange chicken recipe.

If you or someone you know loves orange juice, this Stainless-Steel Citrus Press may be just what you've been looking for. Simply position the orange and lightly press on the handle to activate the motor. Squeezes oranges and other citrus fruits down to the last drop.

Poulet à l'orange

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves or about 1 1/4 pounds (works with turkey breasts as well)
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, peeled and sliced thinly
1/2 pound mushrooms, washed, dried and sliced
1 bulb of Florence fennel (top, bottom and outer leaves removed), sliced thinly
4 ounces lean bacon, sliced in small strips
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons herbs de Provence
salt and pepper
Juice of 4 oranges plus zest for decorating

Melt the butter in a deep skillet on medium heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and just cooked through (about 15 minutes, but depends on the thickness of the poultry). Meanwhile prepare the vegetables and bacon.

Remove the chicken from the pan and add the olive oil, heating it for about 1 minute. Add the sliced onions, mushrooms, fennel and bacon. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

Return the chicken to the skillet with the vegetables, then sprinkle with the herbs, and salt and pepper. Pour the orange juice on top and adjust the heat so that the liquid is just barely bubbling. Simmer for 15 minutes and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve on top of rice.

Makes 4 servings.

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