Now, let’s bring this dish to life with easy-to-follow steps:

1. Start by heating the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chicken thighs, skin-side down, and cook until the skin is golden brown and crisp, about 5-7 minutes. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside.
2. In the same pot, add the diced onion and garlic. Sauté until the onion is translucent, about 3-4 minutes. The aroma at this step always takes me back to mornings spent watching my mum work her magic, her hands moving deftly yet lovingly over each ingredient.
3. Stir in the ground cinnamon, allowing it to bloom and release its fragrance — a trick I learned from my mum, who always insisted that spices, like memories, should be drawn out slowly.
4. Add the rice and stir to coat it with the onion mixture. Toasting the rice here gives it a lovely nutty flavor.
5. Pour in the chicken broth and season with salt, pepper, paprika, and thyme. Stir well and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
6. Return the chicken thighs to the pot, nestling them skin-side up in the rice. Cover and cook on low heat for about 25 minutes or until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through.
7. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, scatter the frozen peas over the top, recover, and let them steam until bright green.
8. Once done, squeeze over the lemon juice and garnish with fresh parsley before serving.