Can I Make The Chicken In A Pot With Less Orzo?

Our answer

Nigella's Chicken In A Pot With Lemon And Orzo (from COOK, EAT, REPEAT) is a popular one-pot recipe. The chicken is gently poached, giving moist, tender meat, and creates a flavoursome stock that is then used to cook the orzo.

It is possible to cook the dish with less orzo, though any leftover orzo and chicken can be reheated in the microwave or in a saucepan, or could make a nice pasta salad if served cold. However, we would not use half of the amount of water in the initial stages of cooking, as it will not be enough liquid to poach the chicken and you could end up with more of a pot roast. Instead, we would suggest using the full amount of water and then at step 8 ladle out about half of the liquid from the pot (carefully, as it will be hot) before adding the orzo and returning the pot to the oven. The reserved cooking liquid should be cooled and chilled as quickly as possible (and within 2 hours) and will keep in an airtight container the fridge for up to 3 days or can be frozen for up to 3 months. It can be used in any recipe where you would add chicken stock, such as Nigella's Chowder With Southeast Asian Flavours.