Paella with Chicken & Chorizo

rich flavor from the chicken, nutty from the toasted rice, full of tomato, smokey and tangy from the chorizo, slightly herbal, slightly sweet, peppery, with hits of sharp saltiness from the olives

I was extremely proud of the way this dish turned out, it was really delicious, even though I ended up getting the wrong kind of rice. Parts of the rice ended up overcooked, and other parts ended up crispy. You’d think that this would be lethal to the recipe, but the richness of the flavors came together so well, that the flawed texture of the rice was easily overcome. I also resisted the urge to buy a new paella-specific pan, using instead a heavy-bottomed pan that was on hand, which probably had something to do with the uneven cooking of the rice as well.

Here are the ingredients:

• tomato paste or several roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped, or a combination of the two
• meaty green peppers of some sort (you can use jalapenos if you want some spice, or just green bell peppers
• onion
• garlic
• saffron (several threads steeped in a bit of warm water)
• medium-grain white rice, rinsed with one change of water
• chicken or other meat broth
• chicken thighs or other dark meat (you can use white, but it’s just not as flavorful)
• chorizo sausage, chopped
• olives, green or black, or both
• whatever green vegetable you like, peas are traditional, I used green beans, I’d advise against broccoli because the cabbage-y flavor would be too strong, okra would be great
• dried oregano
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

You can really play with the proportions of the ingredients for this dish, the only measuring that is important is the ratio of broth to rice, usually the package of rice will have instructions, but as a rule of thumb, 1 cup of rice needs 1.5 cups of liquid.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Start by searing the chicken thighs separately in a cast iron or other heavy skillet, to make sure the skin is crispy, and most of the fat melts off, and also to help them along since dark meat on the bone takes a while longer to cook.

Meanwhile in your ‘main’ paella dish (make sure it’s ovenproof) cook the chorizo in a bit of olive oil, and once that starts to brown add the chopped onions. Stir thoroughly scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Once the onions start to become translucent, add the chopped peppers, stir thoroughly and let everything cook for a few minutes until the peppers and onions get some color.

Add in the garlic and let it cook briefly, about a minute.

Add in the tomato, along with the saffron threads and the water they’ve been steeped in, incorporating everything thoroughly. You can add another tablespoon or so more water if the paste is too sticky. Turn down the heat and let the resulting mixture cook for a few minutes, stirring periodically.

This is a key part of getting the correct flavor - by letting the paste cook for a while, you allow the acidity of the tomato to mellow and help concentrate the umami. This is especially important if you are using fresh tomatoes instead of paste. Make sure you keep adding water a tablespoon at a time as needed in order to avoid the mixture drying out.

Once the onions and peppers have started to break down, add in the rice, salt, pepper and oregano, a bit more olive oil, and stir quickly and thoroughly to coat the rice in the tomato mixture. Stir in the green beans, and nestle the chicken amongst the rice.

Pour the chicken stock over the rice.

Place the pan in the oven, and cook uncovered until the rice is tender. Do not stir, but you can add more liquid if all the stock absorbs and the rice still isn’t cooked through.

To serve, shred the chicken and place a bit of the meat on top of each portion. Enjoy!

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