If you’re feeling it, swap the chicken for prawns – this is more traditional and very skuxx. Simply add them during the last 5 minutes of cooking. I also like to chuck a seasonal green in there for #health, silverbeet or spinach works well!
Serves 5
Ingredients:
Olive oil for frying
Salt and pepper to taste
600 grams chicken breast or thighs, chopped into bite-size chunks
250 grams chorizo, thinly sliced
1 onion, diced
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, diced (same size as onion)
½ cup diced red capsicum (this isn’t currently in season so it's cheaper to buy frozen!)
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 teaspoons of smoked paprika
1 teaspoon of turmeric
500 grams paella rice or arborio rice
1 can of tomatoes
500 mls of chicken stock
800 mls of boiling water
1 cup of frozen peas
Garnish with lemon wedges (essential) and parsley (optional)
Method:
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a very large, shallow pan over a medium/high heat (if you don’t have a pan large enough, try using two). Add in the chicken and cook until just browned on all sides. Remove from the pan using tongs to ensure chicken fat stays in the pan.
Add another 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the same pan and when it’s hot, add the chorizo. Fry for at least 5 minutes, until browned, allowing as much oil as possible to come out of the meat and into the pan. Using tongs again, remove the chorizo from the pan, leaving the oil behind.
To the same pan, add onion, garlic, carrot and capsicum. Stir and fry for 5 minutes, until onions are soft and translucent. Add tomato paste, smoked paprika and turmeric, stir and fry for another 5 minutes.
Add the rice, canned tomatoes, chicken stock, and a generous amount of salt and pepper, stir to combine. When the rice has absorbed all the liquid, add in half of the boiling water. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer and put a lid on the pan and allow the rice to absorb the liquid for around 5-10 minutes. Remove the lid and add the rest of the boiling water, stirring continuously until the rice is soft (about 15 minutes).
Add the frozen peas and cooked chicken and chorizo to the pan. Stir to combine and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Squeeze over lemon juice or serve with lemon wedges and parsley. Enjoy!