Brothy spelt & crispy skinned chicken with herbed ricotta

Name: Brothy spelt & crispy skinned chicken with herbed ricotta
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 kg Essential British Chicken Thigh Fillets; 1 bulb/s garlic, cloves separated, unpeeled; 1½ tbsp olive oil; 175 g quick cook Italian spelt; 1 L chicken stock (from stock cubes is fine); 150 g frozen Essential Petits Pois; 150 g ricotta; 15 g basil, leaves chopped; 1 unwaxed lemon, zest, and cut into 4 wedges

A perfect springy one-tray wonder with crispy skinned chicken, sweet petits pois and chicken stock plumped spelt. Adding your stock in two stages means your chicken skin stays crisp.

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Serves4
CourseMain meal
Prepare5 mins
Cook1 hr 10 mins
Total time1 hr 15 mins

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1kg Essential British Chicken Thigh Fillets
1 bulb/s garlic, cloves separated, unpeeled
1½ tbsp olive oil
175g quick cook Italian spelt
1 L chicken stock (from stock cubes is fine)
150g frozen Essential Petits Pois
150g ricotta
15g basil, leaves chopped
1 unwaxed lemon, zest, and cut into 4 wedges

Preheat the oven to 220ºC, gas mark 7. Pop the chicken and garlic cloves into a large roasting tin (about 27x22cm), rub with the oil, then season and roast for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 200ºC, gas mark 6, and cook for 20 minutes more.
Stir the spelt and 600ml chicken stock into the tin, then bake for another 25 minutes.
Add the remaining stock and frozen peas, then return to the oven for 5-10 minutes more, until the chicken is crisp and golden, cooked through with no pink meat and juices that run clear. Meanwhile, put the ricotta and basil into a small bowl, add the lemon zest, then season and mix together.
Using a fork, lift the garlic cloves out of the tray. Squeeze them from their skins, mash, then stir into the ricotta. Spoon the brothy spelt and chicken into lipped plates and dollop some herby ricotta alongside. Serve with the lemon wedges, for squeezing over.