A Greek pasta-based dish.
Orzo, also known as risoni, a Greek pasta, tiny rice-like grains.
ingredients
- sheep’s cheese
- 1 red onion
- 250g diced chicken leg
- 30g black olives
- 10g sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 lemon
- 2 garlic cloves
- spice pot no. 6
- 1 tsp dried mint
- 1/2 tbsp bouillon powder
- tomato purée
- cherry tomatoes
- head pf black kale
- fresh parsley
- 150g orzo pasta
method
Before you start, take cheese out of the fridge. The same applies to the diced chicken. Allow to reach room temprature.
Fan oven 180C.
.
Halve, peel and dice the onion.
Season the chicken with a little salt and pepper. A splash of oil in an ovenproof casserole, one with a lid (or use a frying pan now and transfer to a baking dish with foil or a baking tray to cover it later). Fry the chicken to brown it, turning it now and then (leave it be at first, so it gets a little colour), then transfer to a plate for later.
Add the onion to the same pan. Turn the heat down and gently fry, stirring now and then, adding a splash of water if needed, for 8 minutes
Slice the olives and sun-dried tomatoes. Roll the lemon applying pressure from the palm of the hand. This will rupture inside the lemon enabling more juice to be extracted when squeezed. .
Peel and finely slice the garlic. Use one or two cloves, according to taste
Add the chicken back to the pan, stirring in the garlic for 30 seconds.
Add the spice pot, half the pot of dried mint, the bouillon powder, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato purée, cherry tomatoes (whole) and 400ml of boiling water.
Bring to a simmer. Transfer to a baking dish at this point if needed. Cover the casserole pan (or baking dish).
Transfer to fan oven 180C for 10 minutes.
Strip the kale stalks away from the leaves, roll and slice. Chop the parsley, stalks and all.
Uncover the chicken, stir in the orzo and recover the pan. Cook for 25 minutes fan oven 180C. Check the pan halfway through – you shouldn’t need more liquid, but see how the pan looks at this stage, as a lot will depend on your own oven and exactly what sort of pan you’re using.
Add the kale leaves on top of the orzo (no need to stir it in at this stage) uncovered, fan oven 180C 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven, stir, add half the parsley, season with salt and pepper, add a good squeeze of lemon and more dried mint too if you like.
Plate.
Break up the cheese and sprinkle over the top. Squeeze the lemon. Sprinkle the chopped parsley as garnish.
thoughts
Very tasty.
More than enough for three people.
If serve two, leave the caserolle dish to cool, chill, save for enother day. Slightly more for one person, not enough for two. Reheat later, suggest fan oven 170C 35 minutes. May need to add a little wate and stir.
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