Chicken Cacciatore With Herbed Orzo

Boil a kettle then pat the chicken thighs dry with kitchen roll and season the skin generously with salt

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat

Once hot, add the chicken thighs, skin-side down, and cook for 10 min or until the skin is golden and crispy (you'll finish cooking them later!)

Meanwhile, peel and finely dice the brown onion[s]

Top, tail and finely dice the carrot[s] (skins on)

Chop the chestnut mushrooms roughly

Peel and finely chop the garlic

Once the chicken skin is crispy, transfer the chicken to a plate, set aside for later and return the pan and oil to a medium heat

Add the chopped onion, carrot, garlic, mushrooms, rosemary & thyme sprigs and bay leaves with a pinch of salt and cook for 6-8 min or until softened

Tip: Add a drizzle of olive oil if it's looking a little dry!

Meanwhile, dissolve the Knorr chicken stock cube[s] in 250ml [450ml] boiled water

Once the vegetables have softened, add the balsamic vinegar, tomato paste and 1/2 tsp [1 tsp] sugar and cook for 30 sec or until fragrant

Add the chopped tomatoes, chicken stock and the chicken thighs (skin-side up) to the pan and cook for 8-10 min further (no pink meat!) or until the sauce has thickened to a rich stew-like consistency – this is your chicken cacciatore

Tip: Keep the chicken skin above the sauce to keep them crispy

Meanwhile, add the orzo pasta to a pot of boiled water with a large pinch of salt and bring to the boil over a high heat

Tip: Italians say the water should be as salty as the sea!

Cook the orzo for 6-8 min or until cooked with a slight bite

Once done, drain the orzo

Meanwhile, chop the parsley finely, including the stalks

Add a knob of butter and most of the chopped parsley to the drained orzo and season with a pinch of salt – this is your herbed orzo