One-Pot Chicken, Rice & Peas

📝 Ingredients

• 500 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 300 g long-grain rice (dry weight)
• 300 g frozen peas
• 3 carrots (about 240 g)
• 1 brown onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 chicken stock cubes dissolved in 700 ml boiling water
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 10 g fresh parsley
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Flameproof casserole dish with lid
• Chopping board
• Knife
• Peeler
• Wooden spoon
• Fork

📖 Steps

1. Cut the thighs into roughly 3 cm cubes, trimming off the largest pieces of fat. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with paprika. Peel and slice the onion, chop the garlic, then peel the carrots and cut them into small 1 cm dice.
2. Heat the oil in the casserole dish over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and let it colour for 3 minutes without touching it, then turn it over and brown for a further 3 to 4 minutes. It should be well browned but not necessarily cooked through. Set aside on a plate.
3. Lower the heat to medium and add the onion and carrots to the same pot, without washing it: the browned bits from the chicken add flavour. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring, until the onion is translucent, then add the garlic and thyme and cook for 1 minute without letting the garlic burn.
4. Add the uncooked rice and stir for 1 to 2 minutes to coat it well in the fat: the grains turn slightly pearly. This step stops the rice from sticking and turning mushy as it cooks.
5. Pour in the boiling stock, scraping the bottom with the wooden spoon to lift the browned bits, then return the chicken and its juices. Bring to a simmer, taste the liquid and add salt only if needed: the cubes are already salty.
6. Scatter the still-frozen peas over the top without stirring. Wait for the stock to simmer again, cover, turn the heat down to low and cook for 18 minutes without lifting the lid or stirring: it's the steam that cooks the rice.
7. Turn off the heat and leave to stand, covered, for 5 minutes. The liquid should be absorbed and the rice tender; if it's still crunchy, add 3 tbsp hot water and leave covered for another 3 minutes. Fluff up with a fork, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.