Fresh lemon orzo with herbs, pan-fried chicken and roasted pointed cabbage – a lovely plate with plenty of flavour.
Pan-fried chicken with lemon orzo and herbs – an easy and genuinely delicious dish with juicy chicken, creamy lemon orzo, fresh herbs and plenty of flavour. I serve it with oven-roasted pointed cabbage and pan-fried courgette, which go perfectly with the fresh, lightly creamy orzo. A lovely dinner that is simple to make and tastes wonderful.
I love dishes like this, where lemon and fresh herbs get to take the lead. Here, lemon juice and plenty of finely grated zest give the orzo a bright freshness, while a little ricotta makes it pleasantly creamy without feeling heavy.
I start by cutting the pointed cabbage into quarters and placing them in an ovenproof dish with olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper. The cabbage roasts in the oven until it is tender and takes on a little colour. Meanwhile, I quickly brown the chicken breast fillets in a frying pan so they get a nice golden surface. They then go into the oven with the cabbage to finish cooking until the chicken is cooked through.
I cut the courgette into slices and fry it briefly in the pan before setting it aside. I then cook the lemon orzo in the same pan, so it picks up all the flavour left behind by the chicken and courgette. It really adds depth, and it makes the dish extra easy to prepare, too.
Once the orzo is done, I stir in a little ricotta along with freshly squeezed lemon juice, finely grated zest and plenty of fresh herbs. I use dill and parsley, but you can easily vary the herbs. Chives, for example, would also work beautifully.
I serve the creamy lemon orzo on plates and top it with sliced chicken breast. Alongside, I add a quarter of roasted pointed cabbage and some of the fried courgette slices. It is a really pleasing combination of fresh, creamy orzo, juicy chicken and tender vegetables.
A wonderfully easy recipe for chicken with orzo, lemon and fresh herbs that works just as well on a weeknight as at the weekend. Fresh, creamy and full of flavour – and it is always a pleasure when a good dinner doesn’t need to be any more complicated than this.
Pan-fried chicken with lemon orzo and herbs
Ingredients
- 1 pointed cabbage (sweetheart cabbage)
- 2 chicken breast fillets
- 1 courgette, sliced
- Olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Lemon orzo with herbs
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 300 g orzo
- 700-800 ml chicken stock
- 3 tbsp ricotta
- 1 lemon, finely grated zest and juice
- 2 tbsp dill, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
- Olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Method
- Cut the pointed cabbage into quarters and place them in an ovenproof dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Roast in a preheated oven at 220°C (conventional oven) for 40 minutes.*After 20 minutes, turn the oven down to 200°C – the cabbage continues roasting alongside the chicken.
- Heat a splash of oil in a frying pan. Season the chicken with salt and freshly ground pepper and brown it quickly on both sides.
- Place the chicken in an ovenproof dish and put it in the oven with the cabbage. Lower the heat to 200°C and bake for about 20 minutes more, or until the chicken is cooked through. The time depends on the size of the breast fillets.
- Fry the courgette slices briefly in the same pan used for the chicken, season with salt and freshly ground pepper and set them aside, loosely covered with foil.
- Cook the shallots and garlic in the same pan until the shallots are soft and translucent, then add the orzo and stock. Simmer until the orzo is almost tender. Adjust the consistency with more stock if needed.
- Stir in the ricotta along with the lemon zest, juice and herbs – and season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Slice the chicken and serve with the lemon orzo, roasted pointed cabbage and fried courgette.
Nutrition
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