Chorizo and Chicken Paella Recipe

Although paella outside Spain is associated with seafood and as a dish to be eaten in summer by the coast, in reality it is not only cooked in coastal areas, it is more like a lunch prepared by farmers in the countryside.

At its heart, paella is all about making the most of the ingredients that are on hand and in season. For this reason there are numerous paella recipes depending on the area and the time of year.

This version of paella with chorizo and chicken is very simple to prepare and really tasty. You can also prepare it with ingredients that you can use all year round.

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Ingredients for 4 people

• 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3 medium tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon of smoked sweet paprika
• A little saffron
• 2 free-range chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
• 150 g fresh chorizo sausage
• 200 g peas (can be frozen)
• 300g of rice for paella or bomba
• 800 ml chicken stock
• Salt

Instructions

1. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a medium paella pan (34 cm in diameter). Once hot, add the chicken, previously cut into pieces, and fry for about 3 minutes until golden brown. Remove the chicken and set aside.
2. In the same frying pan, heat another tablespoon of oil and fry the chorizo, previously chopped into small pieces, until toasted. Remove the chorizo and leave the paella pan to cool for a few seconds.
3. In a small frying pan, toast the saffron threads for a few seconds, being careful not to burn them. Crush the saffron into a fine powder in a mortar and pestle. This will enhance the flavour of the saffron and help it mix better with the stock, distributing it evenly throughout the rice.
4. Add the remaining olive oil to the paella pan and gently fry the chopped garlic until it starts to pop. Add the paella rice and stir for a few minutes over a low heat until the rice is slightly translucent.
5. Add the smoked paprika and stir the rice for 30 seconds, followed by the grated tomato. Once the tomato has mixed with the rice, pour in the chicken stock, saffron and the fried chicken and chorizo pieces. Season with salt and spread the rice evenly to cover the bottom of the paella pan.
6. Bring to the boil. If you have a timer, set it for 20 minutes. For the first 5 minutes, cook the paella over moderate heat until the grains of rice begin to rise to the surface of the liquid. Check the salt in the stock and add a little more salt if necessary. Stir the rice again, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. You can add the peas in the last 5 minutes of cooking.
7. Turn off the heat, cover the paella pan with a tea towel and leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving.