Amber Locke’s non-seafood version of a popular Spanish dish
Paella is often considered to be Spain’s national dish and this recipe is a non-seafood version, using chicken, roasted peppers and chorizo. Although chorizo is not an entirely authentic ingredient to add to a paella, it makes a delicious addition to this dish. You don’t need a special paella pan to make this, a large frying pan or wide shallow sauté pan works just as well. Serves 6.
Ingredients
400g paella rice
1 litre hot chicken or vegetable stock
2 large chicken breasts
200g (about 12) mini fresh chorizo sausages
100ml dry white wine
120g diced pancetta
4 red or orange peppers
1 can (400g) chopped tomatoes
1 large onion
3 fat cloves garlic
2tbsp smoked paprika
2tbsp olive oil
Pinch saffron (powder or stamens)
Half tsp dried chilli flakes
1tsp dried oregano
Small handful flat leaf parsley
1 large lemon
Method
To roast the peppers: de-seed them and cut the flesh into large-as-possible chunks. Place, skin side up, under a hot grill and cook until the skin is charred. Remove to a large shallow dish or plate and cover tightly with cling film. After about half an hour peel the skin from the peppers, cut the flesh into strips and set aside. Alternatively use your own preferred method to roast the peppers.
Chop the chicken breasts into large pieces and toss with 1tbsp of the paprika, dried oregano and a little seasoning. Add 1tbsp of the olive oil to a wide, heavy-based pan and cook the chicken over a medium heat until browned on all sides, remove from the heat and set aside. Roast the mini chorizo sausages in a hot oven until browned and cooked through. When cool enough to handle, slice into 5mm slices and set aside.
Finely chop the onion and garlic and drain the chopped tomatoes, reserving the juice. Heat the reamining 1tbsp of the olive oil in a large sauté pan or paella pan and brown the pancetta in the hot oil. Add the onion and garlic, turn the heat down and gently cook until the onion has softened. Add the chilli flakes and drained chopped tomatoes and cook for a further few minutes, then add the rice, saffron and wine and bubble for a few minutes more. Add the hot stock, give everything a good stir and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes without stirring.
Add the chicken, chorizo, roasted peppers, reserved juice from the chopped tomatoes and remaining 1tbsp of paprika to the rice, stir briefly to combine and then cook for a further 8-10 minutes. When the rice is cooked, remove from the heat and cover the pan with a tea towel for a few minutes before serving. Chop the flat leaf parsley and cut the lemon into wedges. Scatter the parsley over the top of the paella and serve with the wedges of lemon.
