Chicken and Chorizo Orzo

4 standard portions

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Ingredients

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 500g chicken thigh fillets, chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 red pepper, deseeded, finely chopped
• 50 g chorizo, finely chopped
• 10 g garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 100 ml red wine
• 150 g baby plum tomatoes, halved
• 100 g sun-dried tomatoes, halved
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp thyme leaves
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• 1 L  chicken stock, made with one stock cube
• 250g orzo pasta, raw weight

Method

1. First, grab a big, deep pan. This is a one-pan recipe, so don’t try to cram it all into a tiny frying pan.
2. Heat the olive oil, season your chicken, and brown it for 5 minutes. It won’t be fully cooked yet, but that’s fine—we’re playing the long game. Remove and set aside.
3. Next, chuck in the onion, pepper, and chorizo. Let them sizzle for a few minutes until the onions go soft and your kitchen starts smelling like a fancy Mediterranean restaurant.
4. Throw in the garlic, but only for 30 seconds—garlic burns faster than Scottish people in the sun.
5. Time for the red wine. Pour it in and let it simmer down. Most of it should evaporate, leaving only the good, deep flavour behind.
6. Now, return the chicken to the pan and introduce it to the tomatoes (both kinds), herbs, chilli flakes, and chicken stock. Stir in the orzo and let the magic happen.
7. Simmer everything on medium heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to stop the orzo from sticking. If it starts to look a bit dry, add a splash more stock.
8. Once the orzo is tender and has soaked up all the goodness, stir through the basil and serve.
9. Then, pat yourself on the back—you’ve just made a restaurant-quality dish in one pan.