Roasted Chicken with Farro and Spring Peas

This was my first time to try Farro and it was really good!

If you want to make this recipe more simple, substitute already cooked rotisserie chicken for the roasted chicken in the recipe. You can serve the leftovers chilled and tossed with lemon juice or your favorite vinegar to make a yummy lunch salad.

Roasted Chicken with Farro and Spring Peas
Serves: 4

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup semi-pearled farro
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
sea salt
black pepper
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, rinsed & thinly sliced
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup fresh peas or sliced snap peas
1/4 cup roughly chopped basil leaves
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preheat oven to 425.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring chicken broth and 2 cups water to a boil. Add farro and reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes or until farro is tender. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and transfer farro to a colander to drain. Set aside.

Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil. When oil is shimmering, place chicken in the skillet and cook, turning over as needed, until golden brown on both sides. Transfer skillet to the oven and roast chicken until cooked through, 10-15 minutes. Carefully transfer skillet back to the stovetop. Remove roasted chicken from the skillet and place on a cutting board. Tent loosely with foil.

Allow the skillet to cool slightly, then pour off and discard any oil in the pan. Add remaining tbsp of oil and place over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering, add leeks and shallots and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, lemon zest, tomatoes and peas. Saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add cooked farro and stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. If the farro seems dry, add small amounts of the reserved cooking liquid to moisten. When the farro is hot and peas are tender, add basil, lemon juice and parmesan. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Transfer farro to a large platter. Slice chicken and arrange over farro.