Chicken and PROPERONI® Pilaf

Serves 4

Ideally this will be cooked in one ovenproof, lidded pan but if you don’t have this you can start on the hob with a frying pan and then transfer to an ovenproof dish, covered tightly with foil.

 

·       4 Chicken thighs (skin on, bone in add the best flavour)

·       4 tbsp olive oil

·       1 x 80g pack of PROPERONI® pepperoni crumble

·       1 x red and 1 x yellow pepper – de-seeded and sliced thinly

·       2 Shallots thinly sliced

·       2 garlic cloves, crushed or grated

·       150g peas

·       225g basmati rice

·       450 ml chicken stock

·       2 tbsp tomato puree

·       Salt and pepper

·       Handful of fresh, flat leaf parsley

 

1.      In a large shallow, oven-proof pan, heat 2 tbsp of the oil and add the sliced peppers and shallot. Cook until they begin to soften (this can take up to 15 minutes)

2.      Add the garlic and cook for another 5 minutes.

3.      Remove the vegetables from the pan and keep to one side.

4.      Sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt and add them to the pan, skin side down to start, with the rest of the olive oil (2 tbsp). Colour both sides of the chicken for about 10 minutes.

5.      Add the PROPERONI® pepperoni crumble and sizzle for a minute or so.

6.      Add the cooked peppers and shallots back to the pan and add the peas.

7.      Sprinkle the rice around the chicken and vegetable mix and stir so the rice is mixed with them and has a light oil covering.

8.      Add the tomato purée to the stock, stirring well and pour this into the pan. Add a few cracks of ground black pepper.

9.      Put the lid on and bake at 200C for around 24 minutes. Check to make sure the rice is cooked and, if not, put back into the oven for another minute or so.

10.    Once removed from the oven leave the lid or foil on for a minute or so and this helps the rice really fluff up.

11.  Garnish with fresh parsley.