Mediterranean Baked Chicken and Rice

I have been cooking versions of this recipe for years as it is so simple and flavoursome. It’s great for throwing in the oven and tucking into with a green salad, ciabatta and a glass of wine. Kids love the flavours too. For them, I just chop the cooked chicken into smaller pieces, and often use half wine and half stock. It freezes well and any left over makes a great lifesaver meal for another day.

MAKES 2 adult and 4 kid-sized portions

PREPARATION TIME 15 minutes

COOKING TIME 45 minutes

4 skinless chicken breasts

2 tbsp olive oil

1 white or red onion, chopped

75g/2½oz piece of chorizo, diced (optional)

1 red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

250g/9oz/1¼ cups long-grain rice

500ml/17fl oz/2 cups passata/Italian sieved tomatoes

375ml/13fl oz/1½ cups white wine or chicken stock

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

8–10 sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped

180g/6¼oz/1½ cups black or green olives, halved and pitted

1 handful of basil leaves, chopped

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.

2 Cut 2–3 deep slits in the chicken breasts and season lightly with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole dish, add the chicken and fry over a high heat for a couple of minutes on each side until brown. Remove the chicken from the dish.

3 Add the onion, chorizo, if using, red pepper and garlic and fry over a medium heat for 5 minutes until the onion is softened. Stir in the rice and, when it is coated in the oil, add the remaining ingredients. Season lightly with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.

4 Return the chicken and any juices to the dish, pushing each piece into the sauce so it is partly covered. Cover with a lid and bake for 35 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is rich, juicy and tasty. Serve hot.

Leftovers for a salad

chicken rice salad

You can freeze individual portions of this recipe, then defrost and reheat thoroughly within 3 months, or why not try this delicious salad. Put any leftovers in the refrigerator as soon as possible. The next day, cut up any chicken into smaller pieces and stir into some cooked rice with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Toss in some salad leaves, diced cucumber and radishes and some sliced or diced avocado to create a delicious salad.