Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Chicken Paella with Sausage and Olives



Paella is one of those fabulous meals that is a little bit different every time you have it, but always comforting and hearty.  This variation includes no seafood whatsoever, so I was excited to try it for my husband's sake.  It comes from the brand spanking new Ellie Krieger cookbook, So Easy.  And it really is.

This meal is genuinely fun to make.  It's one of those science-experiment-in-the-kitchen recipes, only it requires little effort.  It just comes together as a fantastically spicy and rich, yet nutritious and easy on the waistline, one pot meal.  The warm spices are perfect for this cool fall evening.  I always thought of paella as a labor of love, but this one can easily be served as a weeknight meal.

Chicken Paella with Sausage and Olives
adapted from Ellie Krieger's So Easy
serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
3 oz. chorizo sausage, casing removed, chopped
1 lb.  skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1 large ripe tomato, chopped
1/4 cup chopped green olives
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of ground turmeric
small pinch of saffron threads

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 375.  Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet or a medium-large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 3 minutes.  Add chicken pieces and cook until browned on all sides (not necessarily cooked through), about 4 minutes.  Transfer chicken and chorizo to a plate.

2.  Add remaining oil to pan.  Add leeks and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.  Add garlic and cook, stirring, about one minute.  Return chicken and chorizo to the pot and add broth, peas, rice, tomato, olives, salt, pepper, turmeric, and saffron.  Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven. 

3.  Cook until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

3 comments:

  1. i'm putting this recipe on my must-try list

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  2. I can taste the flavor now! Yummy! Can't wait to try it!

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  3. I love this recipe! I made it right out of the book (So Easy) a couple times and have since made some adjustments:

    Denmark Chorizo from Albertson's meat counter (no casings to remove)

    1/2 bottle Guinness Extra Stout (added same time as broth)

    instead of 2 1/2 cups of chichen broth use 1 1/4 cups each of chichen and beef broth

    1 cup mixed veggies instead of peas

    1/2 lb. uncooked shrimp (deveined and shelled of course) cooked at same time as chicken

    use a short grain rice instead of long grain

    The main thing is to have fun with the recipe. It is a great one that deserves to be tried and played with.

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