One Pan Crispy Orange Chicken

Sunday dinner is a staple in our house but it isn’t always meat, potato and two veg. Chicken can be roasted with lots of different ingredients so it’s an easy meat to add some variety to Sunday dinner. This dish is easy to make and extremely tasty. Serve with mash potato for a heartier meal.

INGREDIENTS
Serves 2 Adults
large free range chicken
salt & pepper
50g butter
1 tbsp olive oil
3 leeks
1 tin of butter beans 240g
1 tsp dried thyme
1 large orange
300ml chicken stock
100ml orange juice
3 carrots

• Joint the chicken into 2 legs, 2 thighs and 2 breasts. Dry the sections using a clean cloth then sprinkle generously with salt.
• Put the butter and olive oil in a large, oven-proof skillet on a medium high heat. Once the fat starts to foam (little bubbles appearing around the edges) put the chicken sections in skin down. The key here is not to move them so that they brown evenly.
• Let them cook for 10 minutes checking that the pan is not too hot, you don’t want the skin to burn. Once the chicken skin is brown remove the sections from the pan and put them skin side up on a plate.
• Whilst the chicken is browning, clean and chop the leeks (ensuring there’s not dirt trapped between the layers).

• Turn down the heat to medium low and add the leeks to the pan. Stir to coat and grind over a little salt and pepper. Cook for 4 minutes then add the drained butter beans and stir.
• Cut the carrots into batons and add to the pan then grate over the orange zest and squeeze in the juice. Add the chicken stock and extra orange juice then give everything a good stir. Return the chicken segments to the pan, skin side up.
• Pop the pan into the oven at 175°C (155°C fan) for 45 minutes then let it rest out of the oven for 5 minutes. Dish into wide, shallow bowls and serve with mash potato if you want a heartier meal.