Cooking Method

• Prep and salt the chicken: Trim the chicken thighs of excess skin and fat. Sprinkle both sides with a little salt.
• Brown the chicken thighs: Heat olive oil and melt butter on medium high heat in a large skillet. When the oil is hot, pat the chicken pieces dry and place skin-side down in the pan. Cook until browned on one side, about 5 minutes, then turn and cook the other side for about 4 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
• Brown the orzo pasta, then add onions, garlic: Add the orzo to the pan and let brown. Stir in the chopped onions and cook until soft, then add minced garlic and cook for another half minute.
• Stir together the stock, tomatoes, salt, pepper: In a large measuring cup, mix chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, ½ teaspoon pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt.
• Add back the chicken, and pour stock mixture over orzo: Place chicken pieces skin-side up on the orzo and pour the stock-tomato mixture over.
• Cover and cook: Reduce heat to low and cover, cooking until the orzo absorbs liquid and chicken is cooked through, about 10-12 minutes. Ensure internal temperature of chicken reaches 165°F. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving, taste and adjust seasoning, then sprinkle with fresh parsley.