Ingredients
- 8 thighs bone-in chicken thighsskin on
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp fine sea salt
- 15 g fresh flat-leaf parsleychopped
- 60 g vegetarian greek-style hard cheesefinely grated
- 300 g gluten-free orzo
Giouvetsi made with gluten-free orzo - chicken thighs and pasta baked together in a cinnamon-scented tomato sauce.
Prep
20 mins
Cook
1h
Servings
4
Per serving
£2.95
Difficulty
easy
Heat the oven to 180C fan. Season the chicken with half the salt and pepper. Brown the thighs skin side down in the oil in a large casserole for 8 minutes, then 3 minutes on the other side. Lift out.
Pour off all but 2 tbsp of the fat. Cook the onion for 8 minutes, then add the garlic, cinnamon, oregano and allspice for a minute and the tomato puree for another.
Add the tomatoes, stock and the remaining salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer.
Stir in the gluten-free orzo, then nestle the chicken thighs on top, skin side up and sitting proud of the liquid so the skin stays crisp.
Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes, giving the orzo a stir at the 20 minute mark, until the pasta is tender and the sauce has thickened around it.
Gluten-free orzo absorbs more liquid than wheat orzo and can catch on the base - the mid-way stir is not optional.
Scatter with the grated cheese and parsley and rest for 5 minutes before serving.