Claire says: “Chicken breasts work best for this recipe, though you can use thighs or legs instead. Cannellini beans are one of my favourite beans to cook with – a creamy canvas of flavour, the beans soaking up everything this recipe has to offer. This dish also freezes well.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1kg (2lb 4oz) whole skin-on chicken breasts, thighs, legs or drumsticks
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 250g (9oz) cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 30g (1oz) butter
• 150ml (5fl oz) dry white wine
• 200ml (7fl oz) double (heavy) cream
• 1½ tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 x 400g (14oz) cans of cannellini (white) or butter beans, drained and rinsed
• a big pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1 small bunch of tarragon, or use flat-leaf
• parsley or basil, leaves roughly chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a casserole pan over a moderate–high heat, add the chicken and brown all over for about 5 minutes each side, until coloured and beginning to cook through. Then, add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes more until the tomatoes are soft and collapsed. Stir in the garlic and the butter and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.

Add the white wine and cook for 5 minutes, until the liquid in the pan has thickened, turning the chicken every now and then.

Add the cream, Dijon mustard, beans and nutmeg and stir to combine. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. When the mixture begins to bubble around the edges, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10–15 minutes, turning the chicken every now and then, until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through.

Check the seasoning, adding a touch more salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, then stir through the herbs. Serve immediately.

Claire says: “I am looking to Greece for the flavours used in this one-pot. Orzo is the phantom pasta shape that likes to think it is rice. In this recipe it is cooked with tomatoes, chicken stock, plenty of cracked coriander seeds, oregano and more, then strewn all over with an unbeatable trio of feta, artichokes and parsley. Serve with some lemon wedges on the side to squeeze all over.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red (bell) pepper, deseeded and finely diced
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tsp coriander seeds, roughly crushed
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp sweet or hot unsmoked paprika
• ½ tsp salt
• 250g (9oz) passata (strained tomatoes)
• 700g (1lb 9oz) boneless, skinless chicken (thigh is best), diced
• 300g (10½oz) orzo pasta
• 250ml (9fl oz) hot chicken stock or boiling water
• 200g (7oz) feta, crumbled
• about 150g (5½oz) artichokes in oil, drained and roughly diced
• ½ small bunch of dill, roughly chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lemon, quartered, to serve

Method

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed casserole pan over a moderate heat. Add the (bell) pepper and onion and cook for around 8–10 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further 1–2 minutes, until fragrant.

Add the coriander seeds, dried oregano, paprika and salt and stir for 1 minute, mixing briskly. Add the passata and cook for 2 minutes, then add the chicken and stir well to coat. Continue to cook over a moderate heat for about 5 more minutes.

Add the orzo to the pan along with the hot stock or boiling water and bring the pan to a quick simmer. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to moderate–low and cook for about 30 minutes, until the orzo is tender and the chicken is cooked through. From time to time, give the pan a good stir as the orzo will try its best to stick to the bottom of the pan. Add a splash more water, if necessary.

Remove from the heat and check the seasoning of the sauce, adding plenty of freshly ground black pepper and a pinch more salt, if necessary, then strew all over with the crumbled feta, diced artichokes and chopped dill. Serve with the lemon quarters on the side.

Claire says: “Chimichurri is a pungent green Argentinian sauce made using fresh herbs, vinegar and garlic. In this recipe, I’ve used half the chimichurri to marinate the chicken, and I’ve served the remainder as the accompanying sauce. This way you get double whammy flavour on the chicken – deep and flavoursome to cook, fresh and vibrant to serve. Roasting the squash at the same time as the chicken on the tray is a tremendous match for both chicken and chimichurri and a popular vegetable (fruit!) for asado-style cooking in Argentina.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1kg (2lb 4oz) whole chicken thighs, legs or drumsticks
• 800g (1lb 12oz) squash, peeled, deseeded and very thinly sliced
• 2 red onions, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp thyme leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the chimichurri:

• (or use about 120g/ 11/4oz store-bought)
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp white wine or cider vinegar, plus more if needed
• juice of ½ lemon
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• 1 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 70ml (21/4fl oz) olive oil, plus more if needed

Method

Blend together all of the ingredients for the chimichurri until smooth, adding salt, plus more vinegar to taste and more oil to loosen, if required.

Mix half the chimichurri into the chicken, cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, although the longer the better. Remove the chicken from the fridge about 20 minutes before you plan to cook it. Alternatively, forgo the marinating time and continue with the method below.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas 6.

In a large baking tray, combine the squash and onions with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and all the thyme leaves, then season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on top and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and again season with salt and pepper.

Roast for about 35–40 minutes, or until the chicken is completely cooked and tender. Add more seasoning if needed, then drizzle with the remaining chimichurri to serve.

One Pan Chicken by Claire Thomson (£20, Quadrille, £20) is out now