Orzo is very much a food trend at the moment and its really great as a replacement for Arborio rice if you want to shake up a normal risotto. It cooks in slightly less time as well, and it soaks in all the delicious flavours just as well as normal risotto rice. This deliciously fresh recipe will get you jumping on the Orzo bandwagon.
I recommend serving with a plump chicken breast and if you want to know how to cook a chicken breast perfectly every time check out the short video on my YouTube channel katiecooks ... wave goodbye to dry breasts forever!!
Prep time 10 mins
Cooking time 40 mins
2 large skin on chicken breasts
2tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
100g smoked bacon lardons or diced pancetta
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1tsp dried parsley
300g dried orzo
600ml hot chicken or veg stock
150g frozen peas
Small handful of fresh parsley, (enough to make about 5tbsp when finely chopped)
1tbsp butter
Zest of 1 lemon
Fresh pea shoots.. optional but... they add a really nice touch to any home cooked meal.
Pre heat the oven 160c.
Drizzle the chicken breasts with 1tbsp of the oil and season with salt and pepper all over, this will depend on your individual taste but I like to use 1/4 tsp of salt and pepper devided over the two breasts.
Heat a deep frying pan to a med-high heat (we will be cooking the orzotto in this to so make sure its big enough) place the chicken in skin side down and brown for 5mins, do not move it around, after 5 mins turn over and cook for 5 mins, after that quickly seal the sides of the chicken and place on a baking tray skin side up to finish cooking in the oven for 15mins (please see my YouTube video for more detail)
In the same pan add the remaining tbsp of olive oil if needed and cook your bacon lardons, once they are nicely cooked and just starting to crisp remove them and set aside, draining any excess fat but please leave 1tbsp in the pan for sautéing the onions etc.
Now turn the heat down to medium and add your onions, gently sautéing them for 5 mins until they begin to turn translucent, now add the garlic, dried parsley and a couple of twists of salt and pepper, not too much though because the pan will already have seasoning in it from the chicken, cook for 2 mins, stirring often.
Pour in your orzo and cook for 3 mins stirring consistently, much like with a risotto.
Now begin to pour in your stock one large ladle full at a time, stirring in until the orzo has soaked it up and then add another ladle etc, continue this method until the orzo is just cooked. This will take 15-20mins.
Add the bacon back in to the pan with the peas and the fresh parsley, just save a small sprinkling of parsley for garnishing the finished dish. Stir, have a taste and tweak the seasoning if need be.
Get your chicken out and check its cooked through.
Add the butter to the orzo and stir it in.
Dish up into bowls with some sliced chicken over the top, garnish with peashoots (if using) and the remaining fresh parsley and then grate the zest of the lemon finely over the finished dishes.
Enjoy!!
Try to keep your stock hot throughout the process, try pouring it into a sauce pan on a low heat to keep it hot while you add it, cold or luke warm stock won't be absorbed as well.
