Creamy Chicken & Pea Orzo

Ingredients

• 500 g chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 700 ml hot chicken stock
• 150 g frozen peas
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 150 ml white wine, or extra stock
• 1 tbsp butter
• 300 g orzo
• 60 g Parmesan, finely grated
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 20 g fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• ciabatta, to serve
• rocket salad, to serve

Method

1. Pat the chicken dry and season generously with salt and pepper — water means steam, and steam means no browning. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a wide stainless or cast-iron pan over high heat until it shimmers.
2. Brown the chicken in two batches, spread in a single layer with space between the pieces. All at once and the pan crowds, water comes out, and you've boiled the meat instead of browning it. Sear 3–4 minutes until deeply golden on one side — it doesn't need to be cooked through. Lift to a plate and set aside.
3. Turn the heat down to medium, add the remaining oil and the onion, and cook for 2–3 minutes until softened and translucent, scraping up any golden stuck bits from the chicken — that fond is flavour. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, 30 seconds, no more. Burnt garlic turns the whole dish bitter.
4. Tip in the orzo and stir for a minute to toast the grains — they'll smell faintly nutty. Pour in the wine and let it bubble fiercely until almost fully absorbed, 1–2 minutes, the raw alcohol cooking off.
5. Pour in the hot chicken stock and bring to a steady simmer. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring frequently so the orzo doesn't catch on the base, until al dente and the starch has thickened the liquid into a glossy cling — think risotto, not soup. Return the chicken and any resting juices for the last 4 minutes to finish through.
6. Stir in the frozen peas and cook for 2 minutes until bright green and just tender. Take the pan off the heat and stir through the butter, Parmesan, lemon zest and the lemon juice — off the heat keeps the cheese silky rather than stringy. Taste, season, taste again. Adjust the salt and pepper now, not at the table.
7. Scatter the chopped parsley generously over the top and bring the pan straight to the table with warm ciabatta and a sharp rocket salad alongside.