Chicken that Fancies Itself Spanish

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds), cut into parts
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup grated pecorino or manchego
• 3 teaspoons Spanish smoked paprika (pimentón)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 medium lemons, washed
• 2 large onions, peeled and sliced
• 1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, halved, and sliced crosswise
• 12 whole garlic cloves, peeled
• 3/4 cup pitted green olives
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• 1 cup whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
• 1 cup dry white wine, preferably Spanish
• 1 bunch cilantro, stemmed and roughly chopped

Directions

Step 1

Heat the oven to 425°F. Combine 1/2 cup of the flour, the pecorino, and 1 teaspoon of the smoked paprika in a large bowl. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over mediumhigh heat. Dry the chicken pieces thoroughly with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper on all sides. Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour, then place in the pot in batches. Allow the chicken to brown, about 5 minutes per side. Don’t crowd the pan. Transfer the chicken to a plate and repeat until all of the chicken pieces are golden and crispy-looking.

Step 2

Zest one of the lemons, reserving the zest, then quarter all the lemons. Add the onion, quartered lemons, fennel, garlic, green olives, the remaining 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika, and cinnamon to the pot. Cook until softened and golden, about 10 minutes. Taste for salt. Sprinkle the mixture with the remaining tablespoon of flour and stir over the heat for two minutes. Add the tomatoes and wine and bring to a boil for a minute or two. Add the lemon zest.

Step 3

Return the chicken to the pot, skin side up, along with any drippings from the plate. Poke in the onion/fennel/garlic/olive mixture so it surrounds the chicken on all sides. Place in the oven, uncovered, and bake for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with additional olive oil for drizzling.