Chicken Thighs, Tomatoes & Risotto Rice
A one-pan baked chicken and Arborio rice that goes creamy and golden in the oven, finished with roasted cherry tomatoes and a fresh bean and mozzarella salad on the side.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
9 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
olive oil, for drizzling
2 lemons, juice and zest, divided
salt, for seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
freshly cracked black pepper
1 brown onion, finely diced
1 knob butter, plus extra for finishing
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp chicken stock powder
1 1/2 to 2 cups Arborio rice
water (1 1/2 times the amount of rice used)
1 Parmesan rind (optional)
freshly grated Parmesan, to serve
2 trusses cherry tomatoes
250g green beans, blanched
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
extra-virgin olive oil, for dressing
pinch of sugar
handful of rocket
fresh basil leaves
150g buffalo mozzarella, torn
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Place the chicken thighs in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Add the lemon juice, garlic powder and black pepper. Set aside while you heat a large ovenproof pan.
Sear the chicken thighs until deeply browned but not cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Clean the pan and return to the heat. Add a generous lug of olive oil and sauté the onion until softened and golden. Add the butter, garlic and chicken stock powder. Sauté until aromatic.
Pour the rice into the pan and stir to coat. Add the water, lemon juice and the Parmesan rind if using. Stir well and transfer to the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the rice is nearly set.
Remove from the oven. Add another knob of butter, a little more water, grated Parmesan and cracked pepper. Stir until combined and creamy.
Nestle the chicken thighs back into the rice. Scatter the cherry tomato trusses over the top. Return to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
For the salad, whisk the sherry vinegar, salt, pepper, extra-virgin olive oil, sugar and lemon zest in a bowl. Toss the blanched beans with the dressing, then add the rocket, basil and buffalo mozzarella.
HINTS
Lift a thigh to check underneath - the rice should be creamy and the chicken cooked through before you pull the pan out.
A Parmesan rind dropped into the rice as it bakes adds a savoury depth you can't quite get any other way.
Serve it straight away while the rice is at its creamiest; it firms up as it sits.
NUTRITION (per recipe total, serves 4 - guide only):
Energy: 13200 kJ (3160 cal)
Protein: 240 g
Fat: 135 g
Saturated fat: 45 g
Carbohydrate: 220 g
Sugars: 18 g
Sodium: 3600 mg
This nutrition information is a guide only and may vary depending on brands, exact quantities, and ingredient substitutions used.