Greek-Style Orzo Salad with Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 300g orzo
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 200g feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 cucumber, deseeded and cut into half-moons
• 300g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 red onion, very thinly sliced
• 100g Kalamata olives, pitted
• 20g fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• a small handful of fresh oregano leaves, to serve
• a pinch of chilli flakes, to serve
• extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle, to serve
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve
• warmed pitta breads, to serve
• tzatziki, to serve
• crusty white bread or flatbreads, to serve

Method

1. Salt the pasta water generously — it should taste like the sea. This is your only chance to season the orzo itself. Cook the orzo for 8–9 minutes until just tender with a slight bite, then drain and spread out on a tray to cool — pile it in a bowl now and it claggs together.
2. While the water heats, drop the sliced red onion into a small bowl and cover with the red wine vinegar from the dressing. Leave for 10 minutes — the raw edge softens and the slices turn a vivid pink. This is the dish's acid moment, doing double duty as pickle and dressing base.
3. Whisk the extra virgin olive oil, the vinegar drained off the onions, dried oregano, grated garlic and honey in a small bowl. The grated garlic goes in raw here, so keep it fine — a microplane, not a chop — or it'll bully everything. Season with salt and pepper, taste, and adjust.
4. Pat the chicken breasts properly dry — water means steam, and steam means no char. Rub all over with the dried oregano, smoked paprika, olive oil and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. Let the spices bloom against the warm oil for a minute on the chicken — paprika needs heat and fat to taste of itself, not of dust.
5. Heat a griddle or heavy frying pan over a high heat until it's smoking — properly smoking, not warming. Lay the chicken down and don't crowd the pan; if your breasts are huge, cook them in two batches. Crowded chicken steams. Cook for 5–6 minutes on the first side until deep golden with clear char marks, then flip and cook for a further 4–5 minutes until cooked through. Rest for 5 minutes, then slice on the diagonal.
6. Tip the cooled orzo into a large bowl with the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, drained pickled red onion and olives. Pour over three-quarters of the dressing and toss until every grain is glossy. Taste, season, taste again — orzo drinks salt, and you'll need more than you think. Adjust now, not at the table.
7. Fold through most of the crumbled feta and the chopped parsley, keeping a little of each back for the top.
8. Plate the orzo, fan the sliced chicken over the top and spoon over the remaining dressing. Scatter the reserved feta, the fresh oregano leaves and a pinch of chilli flakes, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and finish with a squeeze of lemon. Serve with lemon wedges, warmed pitta and tzatziki alongside for tearing and dunking.