Garlic Onion Lemon Chicken over Scallion & Artichoke Orzo

Up at a friends house this past weekend, I tasted some leftovers from a restaurant they ate at the night before. The chef (being a friend of the family) was nice enough to pass on the recipe. I enjoyed the taste so much, I just had to pass this on. It was savory, tangy and just a perfect blend of flavors. Personally, I love lemon, garlic and with trying to save costs, chicken thighs are a great alternative. And having a local farmers market, this dish fed 4 very hungry adults for little cost. It was served over orzoa mixed with buttery artichokes and scallions and a side of spicy sauteed broccolini. I wouldn't exactly call this a quick weekend night dinner. But it makes for a great weekend meal. It really is worth it.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 4-10
• Yields: 8-10 chicken thighs

Ingredients

• Chicken

• 8 -10  chicken thighs, skinless, but bone in (3 1/2 lbs)
• 2 1⁄2 cups sweet onions, cut in quarters and thin sliced
• 1  fennel bulb, cut in half and thin sliced
• 25  garlic cloves, about 1 1/2 heads (peeled and smashed, do not chop)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1  cup flour
•  salt
•  pepper
•  olive oil, to saute the chicken in (about 1/4 cup to 1/3 depending on the size of your pan)

• Sauce

• 1  cup chicken broth
• 1⁄2 cup white wine
• 1⁄2 cup lemon juice
• 2  tablespoons capers (more or less to taste)
• 1  lemon, zested
• 1  lemon, sliced (8-10 thin slices)
• 1  bay leaf (2 small, 1 large)
• 3  tablespoons  chopped fresh parsley
• 2  tablespoons butter
•  salt
•  pepper

• Artichoke and Scallion Orzo

• 1  lb orzo pasta
• 1 (15 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped into small bite size pieces
• 4 -5  scallions, diced fine, white and green parts
• 1  teaspoon fresh parsley
• 1  tablespoon butter
•  salt
•  pepper

• Garnish

•  kalamata olive (whole)

Directions

1. Chicken -- Bring the chicken to room temperature and season well with salt and pepper. Make sure to rub the seasoning inches.
2. Saute -- In a large saute pan since this we be finished right on the stove you want a nice heavy duty pan for this. Add the oil and bring to medium high heat. Dip the chicken in the flour shaking off any extra. You want to coat the chicken but you do not want a heavy crust. Saute the chicken until lightly golden brown on each side. Remove and set to the side on a plate lined with a paper towel to drain.
3. Vegetables -- Add the smashed (NOT chopped) garlic to the oil, and add in the fennel, onions, and red pepper flakes and cook 1-2 minutes until everything is well combined and make sure to scrape off the bits.
4. Deglaze the pan with the white wine again scraping any bits off the bottom of the pan. Cook just a minute and then stir in the butter, lemon juice, chicken broth, and bay leaf and stir well to combine everything. Add the chicken back in (bone side done) and lemon slices on each chicken thigh.
5. Cook -- Cook 35-45 minutes until chicken is tender. I like to spoon some of the sauce over the chicken as it cooks. This is the perfect time to make your orzo as you finish the chicken.
6. Orzo -- Cook your pasta according to package directions. Once the pasta is cooked and return to the pot. Add in the artichokes, scallions, butter, salt and pepper.
7. Chicken -- Finish off the chicken by adding in the parsley, capers and lemon zest. Make sure to check for seasoning (salt and pepper if any. Remember the broth and capers are both salty.
8. Serve -- I love to serve this family style with the Orzo on a large serving platter topped with the chicken, lemon slices and sauce. Garnish with pitted kalamata olives. Sauteed broccoli, green beans or broccolini (my favorite) makes this a great dish.