Chicken and Chorizo Paella

, from Issue #99. October, 2021
Photography by Josh Griggs.
Chicken and Chorizo Paella

When you’re recreating something as classic as a paella, quality, authentic ingredients are key. We love to shop at Farro for the best range of delicious, fresh produce, free-range meats, and hard-to-find artisanal products – plus new and unusual wines to match. To really nail that smoky-sweet, bold Spanish flavour, we recommend their Calasparra Rice, La Chinata Paprika, and Martinez Chorizo. Head to farro.co.nz to shop the recipe – you’ll find all our top picks for the perfect paella, as well as everything you’ll ever need to make your favourite dish recipes.   

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

6 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs
sea salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 red capsicum, thickly sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme or rosemary
1½ teaspoons smoked paprika e.g. La Chinata Paprika
3 cured gluten-free chorizo sausages, cut into 2cm pieces
good pinch saffron threads (optional)
400-gram tin crushed tomatoes
1½ cups Spanish rice, e.g. calasparra or bomba
1 litre chicken stock

Equipment: 30cm paella pan or sauté pan.

METHOD

Cut the chicken thighs in half or into thirds if large. Season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in the pan and cook the chicken skin side down until deeply golden. Transfer to a plate.

Add the onion, capsicum, garlic, bay leaves, thyme or rosemary, paprika, chorizo and saffron, if using, to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add a little more oil if needed.

Stir in the tomatoes and rice, then add the stock. Season generously with salt and pepper, then nestle in the chicken along with its juices. Reduce the heat to low and cover the dish with foil. Cook, without stirring, for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender but still with a little bite to it. Turn off the heat and leave for 5 minutes before serving.

Cook’s note: We topped the paella with quick-fried green beans. Heat a little olive oil in a sauté pan. When hot, add a layer of beans and cook over high heat for about 2 minutes until lightly blistered. Season with salt.

Shop the recipe now at farro.co.nz

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