Claire says: “I am looking to Greece for the flavours used in this one-pot. Orzo is the phantom pasta shape that likes to think it is rice. In this recipe it is cooked with tomatoes, chicken stock, plenty of cracked coriander seeds, oregano and more, then strewn all over with an unbeatable trio of feta, artichokes and parsley. Serve with some lemon wedges on the side to squeeze all over.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 red (bell) pepper, deseeded and finely diced
1 onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp coriander seeds, roughly crushed
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sweet or hot unsmoked paprika
½ tsp salt
250g (9oz) passata (strained tomatoes)
700g (1lb 9oz) boneless, skinless chicken (thigh is best), diced
300g (10½oz) orzo pasta
250ml (9fl oz) hot chicken stock or boiling water
200g (7oz) feta, crumbled
about 150g (5½oz) artichokes in oil, drained and roughly diced
½ small bunch of dill, roughly chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, quartered, to serve

Method

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed casserole pan over a moderate heat. Add the (bell) pepper and onion and cook for around 8–10 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further 1–2 minutes, until fragrant.

Add the coriander seeds, dried oregano, paprika and salt and stir for 1 minute, mixing briskly. Add the passata and cook for 2 minutes, then add the chicken and stir well to coat. Continue to cook over a moderate heat for about 5 more minutes.

Add the orzo to the pan along with the hot stock or boiling water and bring the pan to a quick simmer. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to moderate–low and cook for about 30 minutes, until the orzo is tender and the chicken is cooked through. From time to time, give the pan a good stir as the orzo will try its best to stick to the bottom of the pan. Add a splash more water, if necessary.

Remove from the heat and check the seasoning of the sauce, adding plenty of freshly ground black pepper and a pinch more salt, if necessary, then strew all over with the crumbled feta, diced artichokes and chopped dill. Serve with the lemon quarters on the side.

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