Chicken Thighs with Braised Fennel, Scallions & Olives

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425ºF.

Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil in a 12-inch heavy-duty skillet over high heat. Add the fennel, sprinkle with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned in places, about 5 minutes—don’t stir too often or the fennel won’t brown. Remove the skillet from the heat. Transfer the fennel to a 9x13-inch baking pan, spreading it evenly. Layer the scallions on top of the fennel, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt, and scatter the olives over the scallions.

Put the flour in a shallow dish. Trim any excess fat from the chicken and season the chicken with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour.

Heat the remaining 3 Tbs. oil in the skillet over high heat. Turn on the exhaust fan. When the oil is very hot, add the chicken (it may be a tight fit, but the chicken will shrink as it cooks) and sear until the first side is well browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-high, flip the chicken using tongs, and cook until the second side is well browned, about another 3 minutes.

Arrange the thighs on top of the vegetables. Carefully pour the wine into the skillet and cook over medium-high heat, scraping up bits from the pan with a wooden spoon, until the wine reduces by half, about 1 minute. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Pour the wine mixture over the chicken and bake until the chicken is cooked through and the fennel is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.