Mandarin + kaffir lime baked chicken orzo
This one-pan wonder chicken dish is one you'll end up coming back to time and time again. There's nothing particularly orthodox about it - Italian orzo pasta, lime, coconut and mandarin don't usually hang out together - but it's funky delicious!
Top Tip - using bone-in chicken adds greater flavour to your cooking.
hands-on time
15 minutes
1 hour
total time
4 as a main
serves
Ingredients
1 red onion, sliced thinly
800g bone-in chicken thighs (about 4)
300g orzo
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
1 long red chilli, finely chopped
1 tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground cardamom
400ml can coconut milk
250ml vegetable stock
3 kaffir lime leaves
3 mandarins, peeled and segmented
finely grated zest and juice of 2 limes
1 large handful coriander leaves, plus extra to serve
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
½ tsp cracked black pepper
½ tsp sea salt
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan-forced (or 200°C conventional).
Place the oil in a Dutch oven or flameproof casserole dish (about 25cm diameter) over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and sauté for 8 minutes until softened. Add the chicken thighs and cook for 2 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Add the orzo, garlic, ginger, chilli, turmeric and cardamom and cook for 1 minute, tossing through to coat the chicken. Add the remaining ingredients and 250ml water, stir through and bring to the boil. Once bubbling, remove from the heat, cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake uncovered for a further 15 minutes, at which point much of the liquid will have reduced and the top will be starting to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
Serve warm, topped with extra fresh coriander and your favourite sides.