I love the Spanish culture, especially the food. Being almost completely surrounded by water, Spain has a strong tradition of seafarers, and as such, many of the dishes from it’s coasts are centered around seafood. Paella, like most of the other rice-based Spanish dishes, originated in the eastern border of Valencia. It can be made with a variety of different meats, including scallops, shrimp, chicken, sausage, etc. Traditionally, paella is cooked in large batches over an open fire in a large, shallow, circular, dish (from which it supposedly gets its name).

A typical ingredient in paella is Spanish Saffron, a middle eastern spice that is rather expensive due to its difficulty to cultivate (it must be hand-picked). Saffron is the dried stigma of the saffron crocus flower. A single pound of saffron requires 75,000 blossoms or 225,000 hand-picked stigmas. The good news is… a little bit goes a long way. For this recipe, you only need 1/2 of a teaspoon. While it is recommended for the flavor and color it provides, it can be an optional ingredient based on budget.

Chicken Paella

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INGREDIENTS

• 4-6 pieces of chicken (thigh, leg, breast, whatever you have)
• 4 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric
• 4 oz. chorizo sausage or smoked ham
• 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/2 tsp. saffron
• 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
1. Heat the oil, and brown the chicken pieces (skin on) on both sides. Add the onion, garlic and turmeric. If using saffron, add it as well. Cook for 2 min.

2. Slice the sausage (or dice the ham) and add to the pot along with the rice, stock, chicken stock, and red wine. Bring to a boil and season to taste. Cover and bake for 15 min.
Note: Depending on the type of chorizo you use, it may not slice well. I used Mexican chorizo, which ended up crumbling and incorporating into the dish, so don’t be surprised if the large chunks you originally chopped are gone by the end of cooking and stirring. Spanish chorizo however, is dry and more solid and will hold its form.

3. Remove from oven and add tomatoes, red pepper slices, and frozen peas. Return to oven and cook for another 10-15 min, or until the chicken is tender and the rice has absorbed the stock.

By the way… In the above picture, I know it does not show any chicken. I had a tragedy occur during the preparation of this meal: my camera died! We were able to squeeze some good out of the situation though… Abby invited a friend over for dinner and we are borrowing her camera for the week. So, while we were able to have a fun little dinner party, I think my camera has taken its last picture.

Adapted from Best-ever Chicken: exciting recipes for every occassion by Linda Fraser