One-Pot Chicken and Rice

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 650g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, patted dry and cut into 3cm pieces
• 1½ tsp fine salt, plus extra to taste
• ½ tsp black pepper, plus extra to taste
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 carrots, cut into 1cm dice
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into 1cm dice
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 300g long-grain rice, rinsed and drained
• 700ml hot gluten-free chicken stock
• 150g frozen peas
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 15g fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large, deep frying pan or casserole with a lid over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with ½ tsp salt and the black pepper, then brown it for 5–6 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden on the outside. Transfer to a plate; it does not need to be cooked through yet.
2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining olive oil, onion, carrots, red pepper and ½ tsp salt. Cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring regularly, until the onion is soft and translucent and the vegetables are beginning to soften.
3. Add the garlic, smoked paprika and oregano. Stir for 30 seconds until fragrant, then add the rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring until the grains are glossy and coated with the spices.
4. Pour in the hot chicken stock and scrape up any browned bits from the base of the pan. Return the chicken and any resting juices to the pan, then bring to a gentle simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 15–17 minutes without lifting the lid, until the rice is nearly tender and most of the stock has been absorbed.
5. Scatter the frozen peas over the rice, cover again and cook for 3–4 minutes, until the peas are hot, the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through with no pink remaining, or reaches 75°C in the centre.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and leave it covered for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice gently with a fork, squeeze over two lemon wedges and fold through most of the parsley. Taste and adjust with the remaining salt and extra pepper, then serve with the remaining lemon wedges and parsley.