Chicken and fregola

Ingredients

• 1½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• Salt and black pepper
• 750 g chicken thighs, cut into 4-5 cm chunks
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 cup fregola
• A generous pinch Aleppo pepper
• 2 cups (500 ml) chicken stock
• 1 cup (250 ml) coconut milk
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 200 g peas
• 120 g baby spinach leaves
• ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the paprika, oregano, garlic powder and a generous pinch of salt and black pepper. Add the chicken and mix well to combine.
2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Sear the chicken pieces for 3-4 minutes, or until golden (it doesn’t need to be fully cooked at this stage). Remove the chicken to a plate.
3. Return the pan to the heat with the remaining 1 tbsp oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Stir through the fregola and a generous pinch of Aleppo pepper. Pour in the stock and coconut milk, then cover and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the fregola from sticking. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Stir through half the lemon juice, along with the peas and baby spinach, stirring to wilt. Return the chicken pieces to the pan, cover and cook for a further 5-6 minutes, or until the stock has been fully absorbed and the chicken is cooked through.
5. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle with parsley and squeeze over the remaining lemon juice.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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