Flavourful chicken meatballs with savoury chicken stock, orzo and salty parmesan cheese… This is the ultimate comfort food and it doesn’t need much introduction. Chicken mince can be difficult to find sometimes, but this delicious dish starts with some humble chicken sausages so it cuts the work in half and adds a punch of flavour with very little effort.
I suggest getting the best quality chicken sausages you can find because it will make all the difference. Of course if you can’t find chicken sausages, you can substitute chicken mince or even turkey mince, but you’re going to want to season it very well.
It’s also worth noting that the dried chilli flakes and Cayenne pepper are absolutely optional. I love this a bit spicy, but if you don’t enjoy the heat or are planning to serve this to children, I would just not include these two optional ingredients.
Ingredients
- 340g chicken sausages
- A handful of flat leaf parsley finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
- Zest & juice of one lemon
- 4 tablespoons finely shredded Parmesan
- 50g breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons garlic oil (olive oil will work too)
- Pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
- 800ml chicken stock (either homemade or from stock pot)
- Pinch of Cayenne pepper (optional)
- 150g orzo pasta
- Sea salt flakes & black pepper
- Additional Parmesan cheese to serve
- Additional flat leaf parsley to garnish (optional)
Method
- Slit the sausages lenngthwise pressing just hard enough with the edge of a knife to break the skin. Use your hands to squeeze the meat out of the casings and discard them.
- Put the sausage meat into a large bowl with the parsley, lemon zest and Parmesan cheese. Using your hands, mix it all together but don’t overwork it too much. Once it’s all mixed, roll the mixture into small meatballs about 1 inch in size. They don’t have to be perfect so don’t worry about measuring or being too precise.
- Heat the olive oil in a large casserole or other soup pan that has a lid over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage meatballs until they’re browned on all sides and starting to get a golden, crispy look to them. Add the chilli flakes and stir, cooking for about another minute.
- Pour in the lemon juice. This will deglaze the pan. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up anything still stuck to the pan.
- Pour in the chicken stock, the Cayenne pepper and the orzo. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Clamp on the lid and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until the pasta is cooked, stirring at least once halfway through to dislodge any pasta that’s sticking. If necessary, add more water during the cooking if the mixture dries out too much.
- Check that the pasta to see that it’s cooked to the consistency you desire. If it needs it, let it cook for a few more minutes. If it’s done, season with salt & pepper to taste.
- Serve hot with Parmesan cheese and some chopped flat leaf parsley sprinkled on top.
