Serves: 4-6

This dish is a beautiful and simple one pot meal vibrant with lots of color and flavor. It cooks quickly on the stove top and can/should be brought to the table lid on for a dramatic presentation before dishing up. I mean, why not! I like to use rainbow carrots but any carrots will do. Serve with a simple salad and crusty baguette.

Ingredients:

Olive oil

4 to 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (preferably free-range and organic) 3 fat cloves of garlic peeled and sliced thinly

8 carrots, various colors are nice 

1 large red onion

2 tsp sea salt 

2 tsp. dried savory or marjoram (optional)

2 tsp. Sweet paprika

1 tsp. Smoked paprika

½ tsp hot paprika or chili flakes

2 Tbls. or more olive oil

4 to 6 cups low or no-salt chicken broth or water 

12 oz. orzo pasta (¾ box)

½ cup or more pitted Castelvetrano olives, optional

1 lemon or small orange, sliced into thin rounds

Fresh minced flat leaf parsley to garnish

Chef's Tips:

• When purchasing meat you have the option of dry-aged (in a butcher case unwrapped) or packaged. Air drying releases the moisture that naturally sweats from any meat. The “dry” chicken will give you a nice caramelized crust once cooked. If your only option is to buy packaged chicken, remove it from packaging and place in a tray or dish with edges so that chicken “juice” does not drip in your fridge. Allow it to air-dry for 1 and up to 24 hours. When you sear your meat, you’ll end up with a gorgeous caramelized crust! I do this with steak, roasts, everything. Even ground beef can be made into patties and set on a tray with edges to dry age in the fridge for an hour or so before cooking. The larger the cut of meat, the longer the dry aging up to 24 hours. Have  you ever cooked hamburgers on to have them look grey with foamy water on them?
• Use a heavy-bottomed sauté pan with a lid that is large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer as well as the cooked pasta and vegetables. This could be a large cast iron sauté pan, or a Dutch oven with lid. 

Methods:

1. In a small bowl, blend the spices and 2 tsp. salt. Set aside.
2. Sprinkle the skin side of the chicken with about half of the spice mixture. Rub it across the skin and set aside.
3. Peel the carrots and halve them on the diagonal or cut in large wedges. 
4. Peel the onion and trim the root while leaving it in tact. Cut the onion in half end to end through the core. Cut each half into four wedges. 
5. Heat your pan over med-high heat. Once hot, drizzle in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and swirl the pan and notice the waves. Once you see “waves” add your chicken skin side down and in a single layer. Don’t crowd or move the chicken. Allow the skin to nicely brown and caramelize. Once the skin is crispy and golden brown, remove to a plate and set aside.
6. Drain excess fat if desired, leaving some behind for the vegetables.  
7. Add more olive oil if needed and the onion wedges to the pan. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
8. Remove lid and sauté the onions until slightly caramelized on the edges but still crisp.
9. Add the orzo pasta and garlic and stir until the pasta has slightly toasted in the pan. Stir in the remaining spices.
        
10. Set the chicken thighs on the pasta nestling them in a bit. 
11. Scatter the carrots and citrus slices throughout the pan.
12. Add 3 cups of broth and push the pasta around a bit until the broth settles. Cover and simmer on low to medium-low for 5 minutes.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
13. Check to make sure that the pasta has not absorbed all of the broth. Add more if needed. Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the chicken reaches. 165˚F. 
14. Turn off the heat, stir in half the parsley and the olives, cover, and rest for 5 minutes. Top with remaining parsley.