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chicken, chorizo + rice

20/2/2013

24 Comments

 
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I was given a kilo bag of calasparra rice last Thursday (birthday gift, valentine's day - don't, I know, very fucking hilarious).
The previous evening I'd written out the next week's menu (my 'week' tends to start on Thursday, because that's when the money comes in) which, dinner-wise, read:

Thu: onglet + gratin dauphinois
Fri: macaroni cheese
Sat: sausages + peppers
Sun: spaghetti + broccoli
Mon: rice + chicken
Tue: cod + lentils
Wed: omelette + salad

I had intended to use this recipe for the rice and chicken, but the gift of calasparra prompted a change of tack away from a risotto and more towards a kind of paella (and I've always got a chorizo sausage or two in the freezer and a tin of spanish paprika in the cupboard).
Then at the weekend, as if by celestial decree, the Guardian featured a recipe for arroz con pollo y chorizo from the inestimable Nieves Barragán Mohach, executive chef for Fino and Barrafina. Here's a lovely little (1 min 23 secs) film about Barrafina to make you ache with longing to go there NOW (or at least buy the book):
But that dish, stupendously delicious and authentic no doubt, has sixteen ingredients and I wanted a midweek-simple kind of a recipe. Also, my home-made chicken stock was already flavoured with carrot, celery and bay (NBM uses water).

So here's the (also delicious) result, made with just these eight ingredients:
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the recipe

serves two (or one greedy person)

1 chorizo cooking sausage (approx. 75g), in small chunks
approx 180g chicken meat (thighs or breast), in bite-size chunks
½ onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp thyme leaves
¼ tsp of Spanish sweet smoked paprika
100g paella rice
200ml chicken stock
salt + black pepper


In a suitable pan, fry the chorizo over a low heat - so most of its oil leaches out into the pan by the time it's cooked. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a plate (not kitchen roll, because you'll want to pour back any juices that collect into the pan later). Increase the heat and fry the chicken pieces briefly. Remove these from the pan onto the same plate as the chorizo. Now add the onion to the pan and, after a minute or so, the garlic and thyme leaves. When the onion has softened, add the paprika, stir, add the rice and stir again. Pour in 200ml of chicken stock, and add back the chorizo, chicken and any juices. Bring to a simmer and cook over a low heat, covered, for about 20 minutes. After about 5 minutes season to taste and stir again. Stir a few more times while it's cooking to ensure the rice doesn't stick to the base of the pan. If all the stock has been absorbed before the rice is cooked (though this shouldn't happen) add a little water. The finished dish should be moist but not sloppy.
24 Comments
Jane link
20/2/2013 23:23:38

I love chicken and chorizo with rice. I make mine in a very similar way but add a red pepper and a quartered orange (remove the orange skins before eating) to the mixture. At the end I throw in a few tomatoes and, if I have some around, olives. Delicious!

Reply
The Skint Foodie
27/2/2013 03:53:26

Orange, eh? Intriguing. Don't see why not, as I'll sometimes squeeze a bit of lemon over it. :0)

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Sal
22/2/2013 12:59:31

I have just eaten this for dinner tonight....bloody marvellous :-)

Reply
The Skint Foodie
27/2/2013 03:54:04

Hi Sal. Glad you enjoyed it!

Reply
Rona
22/2/2013 14:00:30

I love the look of this,I live in Spain and am skint and cooking for one,but at least I can get daaamn fine chorizo very cheaply.Will be trying this.Thanking you. :-)

Reply
The Skint Foodie
27/2/2013 03:55:21

I'm honoured that a resident of Spain is going to give it a bash. Hope you enjoy it!

Reply
Jay
23/2/2013 11:30:19

I had just saved that Observer recipe when your post popped up. I always welcome something a bit easier so went for it. I completely misread your recipe before shopping, so of course it's nowhere near as good as yours. But what the hell. How far wrong can you go when the basic ingredients are chicken, chorizo and rice? Right? Right.
Lovely, but next time I'll make yours...

Reply
The Skint Foodie
27/2/2013 03:56:28

Not far wrong Jay!

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Sophie
24/2/2013 11:19:22

Amazing blog. Recommended it to two of my friends this week and they both loved it. One said that she was going to make chicken pie for dinner and was changing menu to this recipe.

Reply
The Skint Foodie
27/2/2013 03:58:16

Hi Sophie. Thanks! Hope your friend enjoyed it. :0)

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Robin
24/2/2013 17:33:23

Some recipes have 16 ingredients because every one is needed - the dish wouldn't work at all without them. Some, though, just point the way, don't they? Restaurant recipes are often over-precise for home cooking. They have to reproduce the dish reliably, and you don't. Yours can be just as good.

Reply
The Skint Foodie
27/2/2013 03:59:41

Zackerly.

Reply
Oonagh
24/2/2013 18:01:30

Happy birthday Skintster.

Reply
The Skint Foodie
27/2/2013 04:00:22

Thanks Oonagh!

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Victoria (Frambookshop on twitter)
25/2/2013 06:12:45

Happy Birthday - mine too on V Day!! Love the recipe xx

Reply
The Skint Foodie
27/2/2013 04:01:10

Thanks Victoria. And a belated happy birthday to you too!

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Tom Bradshaw
27/2/2013 14:28:39

Great recipe. One of my favorites from a great website, especially for a student like myself

Reply
The Skint Foodie
28/2/2013 00:12:27

Thanks Tom!

Reply
michael
16/3/2013 10:07:17

belated happy birthday skintster . chicken chorizo and rice it is tonight

Reply
Jussey
2/6/2013 09:56:50

Burnt this for dinner last night twas still magnificent. Enjoyed yr pizza too, great blog fab food can relate to mood changes effects on dietary habits. Please keep the recipes coming.

Reply
The Skint Foodie
2/6/2013 10:37:37

Ha! It happens! Glad it was still OK to eat. :0)

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Bao
6/6/2013 12:19:05

I love this recipe especially with a few kings prawns! Simple and yummy.

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Maria
31/7/2013 05:51:20

I found your blog yesterday for the first time and since I had most of the ingredients for this recipe, I went and cooked it for dinner.
It was so good! I replaced a couple of things with what I had in my cupboard: regular rice and rosemary instead of thyme. They did the job.
In Peru we have a paella influenced dish that uses regular rice and a spice called 'palillo' so I added that too. Will definitely be cooking this again. Thanks!

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Bill link
5/11/2013 04:40:15

I really like your blog. This recipe looks very moreish, so will have to give it a try. I'm wondering if lime would be a good addition to get the flavours zinging?
Thinking of economy, iceland are selling 780g packs of chicken breast for £5 at the moment. That's about £6.40 per kg - much cheaper than anywhere else. You can open the pack and freeze what you don't use that day...
Keep up the good work.

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  • blog
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