Chicken Thighs and Orzo with Steamed Broccolini

(Serves 2-3)

It’s been snowing for the last few days and we’ve had subzero temperatures.  Needless to say, grocery shopping was not something that sounded like a whole lot of fun.  I didn’t want to leave the house to go anywhere.  I had been working on some other recipes, so I had a number of ingredients that were needing to be used up. This dinner was something I threw together with the ingredients I had on hand, and it turned out great.  It seemed like something I planned ahead of time!

You Will Need:

• About 1 pound bone in skin on chicken thighs
• 1 cup orzo
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 2 carrots – I had different colors but any carrots work
• 1 shallot
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ cup white wine, I used sauvignon blanc
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• Fresh parsley, for serving
• Broccolini, for serving

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Preheat an enameled cast iron pan (or braiser) over medium high heat. 
• Cook the chicken skin side down for about 8-10 minutes, until the skin is golden brown.  Flip and brown the bottom of the chicken for 2-3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, peel and slice the carrots.  Peel and chop the shallot and garlic.  Stem and chop the rosemary.
• When the chicken is browned, remove from the pan and set aside on a plate. 
• Add the olive oil, carrots, and shallot to the pan.  Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5-7 minutes until the carrots begin to soften.  Add the rosemary and garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes.
• Add the orzo to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Pour in the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any brown bits.  Once the wine has been absorbed, add the stock. 
• Zest the lemon into the pan and season with salt and pepper.  Toss in the bay leaves and butter. 
• Bring to a boil and let cook for 2-3 minutes to get the orzo started.
• Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through (to 165 degrees) and the orzo has absorbed most of the liquid.  Note – The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the chicken pieces.
• Meanwhile, chop the parsley and steam the broccolini.  I use an electric steamer and it takes 12-15 minutes.  Follow the instructions for your steamer. 
• Let the dish stand for about 5 minutes to let the orzo absorb any remaining liquid.
• Top with parsley and serve with broccolini on the side.