Garlic Butter Chicken with Courgette & Brown Rice

• 1.2kgboneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 8
• 500gbrown rice
• 600gcourgettes, about 2 large, halved lengthways then sliced into half-moons
• 4garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2spring onions, thinly sliced
• 40gbutter
• 1 tbspolive oil
• 75mlchicken stock
• 1lemon, zested and juiced
• 15gflat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• Fine salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste

Method

1. 1Prepare the vegetables, garlic, lemon and parsley. Pat the chicken dry and season both sides with salt and black pepper.
2. 2Bring a large saucepan of well-salted water to the boil, about 10 minutes until rolling hard. Add the brown rice and cook for 25-30 minutes, following the packet timing, until the grains are tender with a little bite; drain and cover to keep warm.
3. 3While the rice cooks, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat until shimmering. Brown the chicken in two batches for 5 minutes per side, until deeply golden and cooked through with no pink remaining; lift to a plate with any juices.
4. 4Keep the pan over a medium-high heat and arrange the courgette half-moons cut-side down in a single layer. Cook for 4 minutes until the cut faces are deeply golden, then lift them out onto the chicken plate. Do not keep turning them: the browned faces are the point.
5. 5Lower the heat to medium and melt the butter in the same pan. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant but not coloured.
6. 6Pour in the chicken stock and lemon juice, scraping up the browned bits. Bubble for 2 minutes until the sauce is glossy and lightly reduced, then check the seasoning.
7. 7Return the chicken and resting juices to the pan for 2 minutes until steaming hot throughout. Add the courgettes and lemon zest for the final 1 minute, turning them gently through the sauce just to warm without losing their golden faces.
8. 8Spoon the brown rice into warm bowls, then arrange the chicken and golden courgettes over it. Spoon over the garlic butter juices and scatter with the spring onions and parsley.

Per serving

kcal

479

protein

35.6g

fibre

3.5g

carbs

52.1g

fat

13.9g