Name: Healthy one-pot chicken
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1 tbsp rapeseed oil; 8 whole chicken thighs; 6 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced; 40g ginger, grated; 5 cloves garlic, crushed; 225g pearled spelt, rinsed and drained; 60g yellow miso paste; 250ml fresh chicken stock; 2 tbsp mirin; 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar; 4 pak choi, quartered; 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds; a small handful coriander leaves, roughly chopped

A white casserole dish filled with crispy chicken thighs and green pak choi

1 tbsp rapeseed oil
8 whole chicken thighs
6 spring onions
trimmed and finely sliced
40g ginger
grated
5 cloves garlic
crushed
225g pearled spelt
rinsed and drained
60g yellow miso paste
250ml fresh chicken stock
2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
4 pak choi
quartered
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
a small handful coriander leaves
roughly chopped

Method

step 1
Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Put the oil in a large casserole over a medium-high heat. Season the chicken and add to the hot pan, skin-side down – you might need to do this in batches. Sear for 5-6 minutes or until the skin is deeply golden. Carefully turn over the chicken and cook for a further 4 minutes. Remove from the pan and loosely cover.
step 2
Fry the spring onions, ginger and garlic in the casserole for a few minutes until fragrant. Stir in the spelt. Combine the miso with a splash of hot water in a small bowl or cup until loosened and then add along with the stock, mirin, rice wine vinegar and 250ml of just-boiled water. Bring to the boil, stirring to loosen any bits at the bottom of the dish.
step 3
Remove from the heat and return the chicken to the dish, skin-side up. Cover and transfer to the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, arrange the pak choi around the chicken, replace the lid and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes. Uncover the dish, push the pak choi a little under the chicken and cook for a further 5 minutes to help re-crisp the chicken skin. Serve scattered with the sesame seeds and coriander.