BRAISED CHICKEN AND CHORIZO RICE

Preparation time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: 45 minutes. Loads of veg. Freezer friendly.

Serves 4–6

1 × 290g (10¼oz) jar of sun-dried tomatoes

4–6 boneless, skin-on corn-fed chicken fillets

1 large onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed

100g (4oz) raw chorizo, peeled and sliced

1½ tsp herbs de Provence 500g (1lb 2oz) long grain rice 150ml (¼ pint) dry white wine 1 × 400g (14oz) tin of Italian chopped tomatoes

600ml (1 pint) chicken stock (from a cube is fine)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

TO GARNISH

Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Once you’ve got this cooking, you can leave it and get on with other things. It’s so delicious on a cold night when you are late in from work. The sun-dried tomatoes and chorizo conjure up memories of summer holidays and give wonderful depth of flavour with very little effort on your part — my kind of cooking! Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4).

Drain and reserve the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes and finely chop, then set aside. Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved oil to a heavy-based casserole dish with a lid. Season the chicken, then add to the dish, skin side down, and cook for 2–3 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2–3 minutes, then add the chorizo, sun-dried tomatoes and herbs and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir until well coated, then pour the wine into the casserole, stirring to remove any browned bits from the bottom. Add the tomatoes and stock, then season with salt and pepper. Arrange the chicken on top, pushing the fillets down into the rice.

Cover the casserole with a lid, transfer to the oven and cook for 20–25 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the chicken and rice are cooked through and tender.

Scatter over the parsley, then leave to stand for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and gently fluff up the rice with a fork. Serve straight to the table.