Chicken Thigh and Rice with Peas and Lemon

• 4bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 800g)
• 1 tbspolive oil
• 1onion, finely chopped
• 4garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tspdried oregano
• 300gbasmati rice, rinsed
• 600mlchicken stock
• 1lemon, zested and juiced
• 150gspinach
• 200gfrozen peas
• fine salt
• black pepper
• small handful parsley, chopped, to finish (optional)

Method

1. 1Pat the chicken dry and season the skin generously with salt. Heat the oil in a large lidded pan over a medium-high heat and lay the thighs in skin-side down. Fry for 7 minutes without moving them until the skin is deep golden and releases easily, then turn and cook for 2 minutes until sealed. Lift out onto a plate.
2. 2Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 3 minutes until soft, scraping up the browned bits. Stir in the garlic and oregano for 1 minute until fragrant.
3. 3Add the rice and stir to coat every grain, then pour in the stock and the lemon juice with half a teaspoon of salt. Bring to the boil and settle the chicken on top, skin-side up, so the skin sits above the liquid and stays crisp.
4. 4Cover and cook over the lowest heat for 22 minutes until the rice is tender, the stock has been absorbed and the chicken is steaming hot throughout with no pink remaining at the bone.
5. 5Lift the chicken onto a warm plate. Scatter the spinach and frozen peas over the rice, add a splash of water, cover and cook over a low heat for 3–4 minutes, or the pea packet cooking time, until the peas are piping hot and the spinach has wilted. Fork through with the lemon zest and pepper, then taste for salt.
6. 6Serve the rice with a thigh on top of each portion and the parsley scattered over if you have it.

Per serving

kcal

634

protein

50.9g

fibre

7.1g

carbs

77g

fat

13g