Chicken, chorizo and rice bake with dill and feta herb salad

September 7, 2023

A one pan wonder full of vegetables, protein and riceWilliam Meppem

easyTime:30 mins - 1 hourServes:4

I love a dish that comes together in one pan and combines vegetables, protein and my favourite carb, rice. It’s like a paella and yet it’s not, so please don’t call it that. Just cook it and enjoy all of its bright, spicy, salty flavours.

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs, bone in and skin on
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
500g zucchini
2 Spanish chorizo links, diced
1 onion, peeled and diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup long-grain rice, rinsed
2 tsp smoked paprika
1¾ cups chicken stock
salt and black pepper
zest of 1 lemon

For the herb salad

half a cup of dill fronds, loosely packed
half a cup of parsley leaves, loosely packed
50g crumbled feta cheese
juice of ½ a lemon
extra virgin olive oil

Method

Step 1
Select an oven-safe, heavy-bottomed sauté pan about 30cm in diameter.
Step 2
Preheat your oven to 200C fan-forced (220C conventional).
Step 3
Season the chicken thighs with salt and heat your pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to the pan and when it’s very hot, place the chicken in it, skin side down, cooking until the skin is well browned (about 5 minutes). Remove and set aside.
Step 4
While the chicken cooks, grate the zucchini using the large holes of a box grater and set aside.
Step 5
Add the chorizo, onion and garlic to the pan and turn the heat down to medium. Cook until the onions are translucent. Next, add the zucchini and a good pinch of salt and cook until most of the water in the zucchini has evaporated and the bottom of the pan is beginning to brown.
Step 6
Add the rice, the smoked paprika and a few cracks of black pepper and stir to combine. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Zest the lemon on top of the rice mixture using a microplane, but do not stir.
Step 7
As the rice simmers, place the chicken on top, skin side up. Put the pan in the oven, uncovered, and bake for 25 minutes, then remove from the oven and cover with a lid or aluminium foil. Allow the chicken to rest for at least 5 minutes.
Step 8
While the chicken is resting, make the herb salad. In a small bowl, mix the herbs and feta and dress with lemon juice, a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil.
Step 9
Sprinkle the herb salad over the chicken and rice and serve.