Creamy Calabrian Chicken with Pumpkin Orzo
pan-roasted chicken thighs coated in a creamy calabrian chili pan sauce served over pumpkin orzo with fried sage
servings: 4
Ingredients
Scale
Pan-Roasted Chicken
- 20 sage leaves
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Pumpkin Orzo
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups DeLallo Orzo
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 small handful fresh thyme sprigs (tied in kitchen twine)
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Creamy Calabrian Chili Sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
- ¼ cup white wine
- ¾ cup chicken stock
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 tsp DeLallo Calabrian Chili Peppers
- 2 tbsp butter, cold + cubed
olive oil
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper
thyme leaves, to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Pat the chicken thighs dry and let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- Heat a 12” stainless steel skillet over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Once hot, add the sage leaves and fry until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sage to a paper towel.
- Wipe some of the oil out of the skillet, leaving just a very light coating. Season the chicken well with salt. Working in batches if needed, place the chicken thighs skin-side down into the skillet. Cook for about 6 minutes, or until the skin is golden and crisp. Flip the chicken and cook for another minute. Transfer the chicken out and repeat with the remaining thighs. Transfer all of the chicken back to the skillet, skin-side up, and roast for 25 minutes, or until cooked through.
- When the chicken has about 10 minutes left in the oven, start the orzo. Heat a large Dutch oven (or heavy-bottomed pot) over medium heat. Add the butter and let it melt. Add the shallots and garlic. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the cinnamon and orzo. Stir in the white wine and thyme. Simmer for 2 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer again, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring continuously.
- When the chicken is done, remove the skillet from the oven. Transfer the chicken out and return the skillet to the stove over medium heat for the sauce. Add the sliced garlic and cook for a minute to soften. Deglaze with the white wine, scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the skillet. Simmer for 2 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and simmer for another 2 minutes to thicken. Stir in the chili peppers. Turn the heat to low. Lastly, whisk in the cold butter, 1 piece at a time.
- To finish the orzo, add the cream and parmesan. Let the cream heat through while the parmesan melts, stirring continuously. Season with salt to taste. Remove the thyme sprigs.
- Return the chicken to the skillet, skin-side up, to warm through for a minute or so. Flip the chicken to fully coat in the sauce right before serving (you don’t want to let the crispy chicken skin sit in the sauce for too long or it will soften).
- Serve the saucy chicken over the orzo. Garnish with the fried sage and fresh thyme leaves.