Comfort Food: Braised Chicken With Spring Vegetables & Fregola

We’re all about helping you find those moments to unwind – whether that’s providing the squishiest layers to wrap up in, or sharing an easy and comforting recipe to make as you relax into the weekend. 

Chef, food stylist and writer, Olivia Cavalli, shares the perfect recipe for your Easter weekend: a delicious fusion of tender chicken leeks, peas, little gem and fregola. Nourishing and simple this comfort meal will go down well with everyone. 

Serves 2

Ingredients 

• 4 chicken thighs, skin-on and bone- in
• Olive oil
• 1 leek, sliced into 1-inch pieces
• 600ml chicken stock
• 80g fregola
• 80g petit pols peas, fresh or frozen
• 1 head of little gem, quartered
• 1/2 lemon
• Parsley, chopped 

Method

1. Pat the skin of the chicken with kitchen paper then season with salt.
   
   
2. Heat the oil over a medium-high flame in a wide, deep frying pan. Add the chicken, skin side down and fry for 10-15 minutes, until golden and crisp, checking every so often to make sure it's not burning. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
   
   
3. Tip the leeks into the pan and pop the lid on. Cook for around 5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the leeks have coloured and softened. Pour the stock into the pan with the leeks and bring to the boil. Add the fregola, giving it a stir, then turn the heat down to medium. Put the chicken back in, this time with the skin facing up. Leave everything to simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through. You may need to add a splash of water if it looks like it's drying up.
   
   
4. Add the petit pois and nestle the wedges of little gem in and cook for a further 5 minutes with the lid on until the peas have defrosted and are bright green and the little gem has wilted.
   
   
5. Divide into bowls. Squeeze a little lemon over the top and sprinkle with parsley before serving. 

Olivia Cavalli is a chef, food stylist and writer from London. Purchase her book, 'Stagioni: Contemporary Italian Cooking to Celebrate the Seasons' here.