This is another classic Greek dish and yes, another family recipe. It’s often made in clay pots in Greece, baked in large pizza ovens. It is even more delicious in the summer time given the tomatoes are fresh, ripe and full of flavor. Nothing better than that!
Ingredients:
Servings – 4
3 thighs & 5 drumsticks (see note #1)
1.5 Tbsp ghee or 2 Tbsp olive oil
1 can of Solo pomodoro mutti (100% organic Italian tomatoes from @Eataly in NYC)
2 garlic cloves crushed
1 package of @greatlowcarb pasta rice, aka orzo
1.5-2oz ricotta salata (see note #2)
Salt/pepper
Fresh thyme
How to:
- Use a pan that you can also put in the oven so you don’t have to use 2 things. Make it a one pan deal 😊. Cast iron will work perfectly here. Warm up the pan and add the ghee or olive oil you are using. Crush the garlic and add in the oil so the aroma comes out as the oil heats up.
- Wash and dry out the chickie. Once the pan starts smoking, add the chicken, add salt and pepper and leave it alone for 6 minutes in medium heat. I know you might be tempted to flip it, just walk away, and don’t bother the bird.
- You can flip the chicken after 6 minutes, add salt and pepper on the other side and again leave it alone.
- Wash the top of the can of the tomatoes. That’s very important as you never know where is has been. Even if your house is spotless, there is always dust that lingers on surfaces.
- Pour the liquid in the pan with the chickie. Take the pomodori and cut it if small pieces, then add them to the pan. (see note #3)
- Add the fresh thyme, pour a cup of hot water in the pan, cover, and let the bird cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and keep in a deep-dish plate, cover to keep it warm
- Preheat the oven at 350F
- Look at the liquid left in the pan. You should have approx. 3 cups of liquid, if not, add some hot water (it's important for the water to be hot so it won't stop the cooking process)
- Open the bag of low carb orzo, pour in the pan, stir so it’s barely covered with the liquid. Taste the sauce in case you need to add more salt and pepper.
- Put the pan in the oven for 10 minutes (see note #4) uncovered
- Take out and stir, add the bird on top of the orzo, add the cheese and put back in the oven. You can turn the oven off and let the food inside to warm up without cooking it. Enjoy!
Notes:
1. I get my meat, chicken, salmon etc from Butcher Box
and for this recipe I used one package of drumsticks and one of thighs. Total weight 2.67lbs with the bones. You can use any parts of the chicken you like. This recipe is for approx. 2.0-2.5lbs of chicken bone-in.
2. Ricotta Salata is an amazing Italian cheese, made from the whey part of sheep milk, which is pressed, salted and aged for at least 90 days. It is milky white in color with firm texture and salty taste. The Greek equivalent is Manouromizithra (Μανουρομυζηθρα) and if you have access to that, use that instead. You can also use feta cheese, and either cut it in pieces or crumble it. I personally like pieces so I can taste it better as it softens in the dish.
3. If you can’t get your hands in a can of pomodori, you can use a can of crushed tomatoes. However, crushed tomatoes have more liquid, so be careful with the amount of water you will use. You don’t want to end up with a soup.
4. Cooking instructions on the bag of @greatlowcarb orzo is 8 minutes, however, in this case, the orzo is not submerged in water, therefore it will take a little longer to cook. In my oven it took 10 minutes to be al dente. Once I added the chicken and left it inside the over for another 10 minutes, with the oven off, it was the perfect consistency. I would say, open your oven in the first 8 minutes and see if it’s cooked or it needs longer. Do not cover, you will end up with a soup.
5. Macros per serving: Protein 64.4g, Net carbs 8.7g, Fat 27.2g. Those macros are based on 4 servings but they will be lower if smaller portions are consumed. It can easily be 6 servings.
6. This is not a gluten free recipe as @greatlowcarb pasta has gluten, but it is diabetic friendly as it is a low carb food.
7. If you make it, leave a comment below and let me know how you liked it. I would love to hear from you.