Greek Lemon Chicken & Orzo
The orzo cooks in the pan with the chicken, drinking up the browned bits and the stock, and comes out creamy without a drop of cream.
Why it works
Orzo cooks through in nine minutes in a shallow layer of stock, and the starch it sheds thickens that stock into a sauce — the risotto trick without the stirring. Searing the chicken first leaves a brown film on the pan base that the stock lifts into every grain. Eighty grams of dry orzo a head is a proper plateful, so the pan wants to be wide enough to hold it in a shallow layer rather than a heap.
Method
- Heat the oil in a wide, deep sauté pan over high heat. Season the chicken and lay it in one layer. Sear 4 minutes without moving it, until the undersides are properly browned — it will not be cooked through yet.
- Add the spring onions, garlic, courgette and oregano and stir 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Tip in the orzo and stir 30 seconds to coat every grain in oil. Pour in the hot stock, bring to a boil and scrape the pan base clean with a wooden spoon.
- Simmer briskly 9 minutes, stirring every minute and reaching into the corners so nothing catches, and scattering in the peas for the last 3. It is done when the orzo is tender with a slight bite at the centre and the liquid holds a line behind the spoon.
- Off the heat, fold through the lemon zest and juice, then the spinach — it wilts in the residual heat in under a minute. Scatter with feta and dill, add pepper and serve with lemon wedges.
For the toddler
The orzo drinks the stock, so the salt is built in and cannot be lifted out later. Either use a low-salt stock for the whole pan, or set aside a few strips of chicken and some courgette at step 2 and simmer them with a spoonful of orzo in plain water alongside. Keep the feta off their plate. Shred the chicken and cut the courgette small.
How the toddler notes workChef’s notes
Prawns instead of chicken — stir 600 g in for the orzo's last 3 minutes.
Boil the stock in the kettle while you cut the chicken.
A sharp cucumber, tomato and red onion salad with oregano and red wine vinegar, and a dish of olives.
Keeps 2 days chilled. Reheat with a splash of water — orzo drinks as it sits.