Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
300-400g boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts cut into pieces
Salt & pepper to taste
150-175g dried chorizo, sliced into rounds
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 yellow onion, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
2 cups short grain rice (Arborio or Bomba rice)
½ tsp saffron threads
¼ tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas
Salt & pepper to taste
Optional: Lemon wedges & fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450F.
- On medium-high heat, add 2 tbsp olive oil to a pan, season lightly with salt and pepper and cook chicken pieces about 5-7 minutes per side until nicely browned.
- Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Add chorizo to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Then add garlic and onion, cooking for 4-5 minutes until soft.
- Add bell peppers. Cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add in rice and stir to coat with the olive oil in the pan and then add in saffron, turmeric, paprika to combine. Then add chicken broth, a generous pinch of salt and pepper and turn up the heat to bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to keep at a simmer for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally so rice doesn’t stick.
- Stir in chicken, tomatoes and peas and then place in the oven for 10-12 minutes until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Do not stir again – now you want the paella to develop a crispy bottom layer!
TIPS
- Instead of chicken & chorizo, try using your favourite seafood and add into the recipe depending on cook time.
- Don’t have a wide, shallow paella pan? Any wide, shallow skillet will be up to the job. The most important tip to keep in mind is that your layer of rice should be no more than two inches deep.