Instructions
Follow the steps and taste along the way.
Prepare the fennel and orange marinade
Preheat the oven to 220 °C. Trim the fennel bulbs, halve them lengthwise, and cut them into wedges about 1 cm wide. Finely grate the orange zest, then squeeze out the juice. Mix the juice and zest with the mustard, 10 ml olive oil, crushed garlic, 2 g salt, and half the pepper.
Partially roast the fennel
Spread the fennel in a single layer on a baking sheet, drizzle with the remaining olive oil, and toss to coat. Roast for 12 minutes, until it starts to soften and the edges turn golden.
Add the chicken
Pat the chicken breasts dry and cut them into four equal-sized pieces. Brush them with the orange marinade and arrange them among the partially roasted fennel. Roast for another 16 to 20 minutes; when cooked, the thickest piece should reach 74 °C in the center. If the fennel is browning too quickly, loosely cover it with foil.
Cook the buckwheat
While the chicken finishes cooking, rinse the buckwheat in a sieve. Bring 480 ml water and the remaining 3 g salt to a boil in a saucepan, add the buckwheat, cover, and simmer over low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
Season and serve
Fluff the buckwheat with a fork and stir in the finely chopped parsley, the juice of half a lemon, and the remaining black pepper. Taste and adjust the salt and acidity; the lemon should brighten the flavor without overpowering the buckwheat. Serve with the chicken and tender fennel, browned at the edges.
