Why Did My Chicken In A Pot Have So Much Liquid?

Our answer

Nigella's Chicken In A Pot With Lemon And Orzo (from COOK, EAT, REPEAT is a one-pot recipe that poaches chicken and vegetables together and then adds orzo pasta. The pasta cooks in the broth created by the chicken and vegetables.

In the introduction to the recipe, Nigella mentions that the amount of liquid needed can very according to the cooking vessel. She uses an oval cast-iron casserole (Dutch Oven) that is 29cm in length. This should have a capacity of around 4.7 litres (about 5 quarts). If she uses 1.5 litres of water in this type of pan then it is usually enough to come two-thirds of the way up the sides of the chicken legs and is enough to cook the pasta after allowing for evaporation. However, if your pot is a slightly different shape or capacity then it can affect the amont of liquid you need and you may need to add slightly less in the future. Some supermarket chickens are also slightly flabby and may let out a bit more liquid during cooking, in which case you may like to use chicken or vegetable stock instead of water (from a cube, powder or concentrate is fine). You may also want to taste and add a little extra seasoning before serving, as tastes can vary.