One pot Greek chicken and lemon rice

From Recipe Tin Eats (whaaaaa?)

INGREDIENTS

Chicken and Marinade

• 5 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in (Note 1)
• 1 - 2 lemons, zest + 4 tbsp lemon juice (Note 7)
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ tsp salt (normal salt, not kosher or sea salt flakes)

Rice

• 1½ tbsp olive oil, separated
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 cup long grain rice (Note
• 1½ cups chicken broth / stock
• ¾ cup water
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• ¾ tsp salt (normal table salt)
• Black pepper

Garnish

• Finely chopped parsley or oregano (optional)
• Fresh lemon zest (highly recommended)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine the Chicken and Marinade ingredients in a ziplock bag and set aside for at least 20 minutes but preferably overnight.

To Cook

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
2. Remove chicken from marinade, but reserve the Marinade.
3. Heat ½ tbsp olive oil in a deep, heavy based skillet (Note 2) over medium high heat.
4. Place the chicken in the skillet, skin side down, and cook until golden brown, then turn and cook the other side until golden brown. Remove the chicken and set aside.
5. Pour off fat and wipe the pan with a scrunched up ball of paper towel (to remove black bits), then return to the stove.
6. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in the skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté for a few minutes until translucent. Then add the remaining Rice ingredients and reserved Marinade.
7. Let the liquid come to a simmer and let it simmer for 30 seconds. Place the chicken on top then place a lid on the skillet (Note 3). Bake in the oven for 35 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake for a further 10 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender (so 45 minutes in total).
8. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving, garnished with parsley or oregano and fresh lemon zest, if desired.

NOTES

1. I use bone in, skin on chicken thighs because there's more flavour. But you can use skinless, boneless chicken thigh fillets if you prefer. If you do that, place the chicken in the pan 20 minutes into the baking time because the chicken won't need as long.

For drumsticks, you won't be able to sear them as successfully, but that's ok, just sear briefly and bake for the full time (45 minutes).

2. The fry pan I used was 26cm / 10" in diameter and 6cm/2.4" deep. It's the perfect size for this.

3. I don't have a lid for the fry pan I used but I have a lid for a larger pot which I just placed on top. Otherwise, foil works just fine, or even a baking tray.

4. I garnished this with slices of lemon which I seared in the pan after cooking the chicken.

6. This recipe will work with long grain, medium and short grain rice but I recommend long grain because it is the least sticky of the three types. It will also work with jasmine, normal brown rice, wild rice and normal basmati rice. But NOT brown basmati rice (takes much longer to cook). Risotto and paella rice are also not recommended.

7. You need enough lemon to get 4 tbsp of lemon juice which will be 1 large or 2 small lemons. Use all the zest from the lemon(s) that you use.

Notes from Jill's Kitchen: I used brown rice, which the recipe says will work fine, but we had this in the oven forever and the rice still never cooked. I think it was in there for like an hour and 10 minutes. Luckily Sam thought to take the chicken out after the normal cooking time, so it wasn't dry. Next time I should start the rice and then put the chicken in after 20 minutes or so. Other than that it was pretty great.