Romesco Roasted Chicken Thighs with Brown Basmati Rice

Butter roasted chicken thighs with sautéed zucchini & brown basmati rice, coated with tangy romesco sauce.

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 30-35 min

This dish is Gluten-Free

Calories: 645 Fat: 30g Carbs: 46g Protein: 55g

Romesco sauce is the star of in this dish with butter roasted chicken and zucchini. Romesco sauce is similar to pesto, but it’s made with different ingredients like roasted red peppers, toasted almonds, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend it up to create a creamy, tangy sauce!

Ingredients

Shallot

Lemon

Almonds

Garlic

Parsley

Brown basmati rice

Zucchini

Cumin

Chicken thighs

Roasted Red Pepper

Butter

Al Dente Literally to the tooth. Describes the ideal texture of cooked pasta that leaves it with a slight bite, rather than becoming mushy.

Julienne To slice into thin strips about the size of matchsticks.

Zest The peel of, or grating of a citrus peel for flavor.

Large oven safe sauté pan

Blender or food processor

Step 1: COOK THE RICE

Read through entire recipe before getting started. Preheat oven to 450ºF. Peel and mince shallot. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil over medium-high heat. Add shallot and brown basmati rice; sauté for 2-3 min until shallots are soft and rice is lightly toasted. Add 1 ½ cups water; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 25-30 min until water has absorbed and rice is al dente.

Step 2: MISE EN PLACE

Wash and dry all produce. Zest lemon; cut in half then juice. Rough chop almonds. Chop half of parsley, leaves and stems leaving the other half whole. Trim stem from zucchini and julienne. Remove chicken thighs from package, rinse and pat dry; season with cumin and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Step 3: SEAR THE CHICKEN

Heat-large oven safe sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add almonds and toast lightly while continually stirring; 2-3 min. Remove from pan and set aside. Add 2 pats of butter to pan, still over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs and sear for 2-3 min on each side. Remove from pan and set aside. Note, chicken will not be fully cooked at this point.

Step 4: SAUTE ZUCCHINI

Add remaining butter to pan used for chicken. Add zucchini and sauté for 1-2 min until lightly browned. Add chicken back to pan; place in oven and roast for 6-8 min. The USDA recommends cooking poultry to an internal temperature of 165ºF.

Step 5: MAKE ROMESCO SAUCE

To a blender or food processor add roasted red peppers, whole parsley, toasted almonds, garlic, 1 tsp. lemon juice, 1 tsp. lemon zest, 2 tbsp oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.

Step 6: PLATE YOUR DISH

Divide rice between two bowls. Top with zucchini and chicken thighs. Drizzle with romesco sauce and garnish with chopped parsley. Enjoy!