Spanish Style Chicken with Rice

Chorizo and I have a long history. It is the meat I craved the most while I spent two years as a vegetarian. So I'm biased toward Spanish food.

This week, I tried adding some chicken and rice to chorizo. The results were amazing.

There were a few steps, and getting it cooked required a bit more organisation than I normally apply in the kitchen. I recommend slicing the ingredients in advance, as there is not much time between each step once you get started.

You will need:

• 4 small chicken thighs (I used boneless skin free)
• 2 chorizo sausages, sliced
• 160g short or medium grain rice (Calasparra if you're being fancy)
• 1 small onion, thinly diced
• 1 red capsicum, thinly diced
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• a pinch of saffron threads (if you have them)
• 250g (1 punnet) cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup oregano (I used a fresh paste)
• 500 mL chicken stock (use real stock, it matters)
• a handful of green beans, cut in half

First, prepare the chicken. Dust the pieces in a mixture of flour and salt, seasoned to taste. Then in a large (24cm) deep frying pan (or paella pan), fry the chicken in a few tablespoons of olive oil on a medium to high heat. The chicken should end up golden after 3-4 minutes. Remove and put aside.

Add the chorizo (yum!) to the pan and cook for a few minutes until golden. Set aside with the chicken.

Add the rice to the oil, stir to coat, and then stir for another 2-3 minutes until browned. From here, it is mostly about adding flavour to the rice.

Add onion, capsicum, and garlic. Stir frequently until the onion is very soft. Takes about 6-7 minutes. Then add the spices and stir until fragrant (1 minute).

Add in the liquid stock, tomatoes, capsicum, and chorizo. Place the chicken on top and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid or with foil and cook for 10 minutes. Add the beans and cook covered for a further 6-8 minutes.

If you can resist the wonderful smell, let it stand for 5 minutes to soak up the remaining liquid. Serve and enjoy!

Based on a recipe from Gourmet Traveller.