07/10/2024

Baked Chicken, Fennel and Zucchini Orzo

If you have a pot that goes from stovetop to oven to table, well this perfect one-pot meal is a must-have in your recipe repertoire.

Serves:

6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1.2 kg boneless chicken thigh fillets
  • 50g butter
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 1 bulb baby fennel, diced, fronds retained or 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 250g orzo or risoni pasta
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 1 zucchini
  • 6 thin lemon slices
  • 1/2 bunch continental parsley

Method

  • Combine lemon juice, oil, mustard and honey together and use to coat chicken. Remove the chicken, reserving the marinade, and brown on both sides in a large heavy based ovenproof pan* and remove.
  • Melt half the butter in the pan and sauté onion, fennel and garlic until golden. Add remaining butter, stir in orzo and toast for 1 minute. Add stock and remaining marinade and bring to the boil. Transfer to the oven and bake uncovered at 200°C for 30 minutes.
  • Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and in half again, into four. Slice into thin wedges. Stir into orzo and tuck lemon slices in between chicken pieces. Bake a further 10-15 minutes until the orzo is cooked to al dente, adding extra stock or water if needed.
  • Chop half the parsley and stir into the orzo. Serve garnished with parsley leaves and fennel fronds.

Tips

  • * You can do this in a large frypan and then transfer to a baking dish if you don’t have a suitable pan.
  • STYLING Tease the orzo with a fork before garnishing.
  • DRINK Pinot Grigio

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