Chicken, Sausage, and Red Pepper Paella
Paella to me is the ultimate one pot meal. It also is the time of year where I am not ready for a stew but want something more substantial than the usual summer fare. Paella is a great answer. Although paella is considered Spanish I think this one is more Mediterranean. I use Italian sausages but fresh chorizo would be good, the important part is that the sausage isn't dry cured or it would just be drier in this case. I also use arborio rice, but you could use the Spanish version of this as well.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 2 bell peppers
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 chicken thighs seasoned with salt and pepper
- 2 chicken legs seasoned with salt and pepper
- 2 Italian sausages
- 1 onion julienned
- 1 fennel bulb tops trimmed, core removed and sliced very thinly
- ¼ cup garlic peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- 3½ cups warm water
- 1 pinch saffron crumbled
- 3 Roma tomatoes cut in half from top to bottom, and grated on the large holes of a box grater, leaving the skin behind
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 2 cups arborio rice
- 1½ teaspoons aleppo pepper
- 1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley minced
- 2 tablespoons green onions sliced into thin rings
- kosher salt
- fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Crumble the saffron into the warm water.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Prepare the peppers:
- Cut the peppers in half through the stem end.
- Remove the seeds stem.
- Lightly oil the skin side of the peppers.
- Place the peppers, cut side down, on an oiled rimmed baking sheet.
- Move an oven rack to the highest level and preheat the broiler.
- Place the peppers under the broiler for 5 minutes.
- Turn the pan a half turn and continue broiling until the peppers are black all over, checking every minute or so.
- Remove the peppers from the oven.
- Put the peppers in a bowl and cover for 15 minutes.
- Flatten the peppers on a work surface and remove the skin using your fingers or scrape with the spine of a paring knife.
- Juilienne the peppers into thick strips.
Brown the meat:
- Place a 16 inch paella pan or a 12 inch saute pan over medium high heat.
- Add the olive oil and once it is hot add the chicken, skin side down, and then the sausages.
- Brown them thoroughly and then remove them to a plate. You don't want them to cook all the way through. They will finish cooking in the oven you just want to brown them.
Saute the aromatics:
- Turn the heat to medium and add the onion and fennel.
- Season them with a healthy pinch of salt and pepper and cook until they start to soften.
- Add the garlic, aleppo pepper and bay leaves.
Prepare the rice:
- Once fragrant add the white wine and grated tomatoes and cook for a minute or two letting the alcohol burn off of the wine.
- Add the saffron water and rice.
- Season again with a healthy pinch of salt and pepper.
- Shake the pan to level out the rice.
- Place the chicken into the pan and arrange the red peppers around the chicken.
- Bring to a boil.
Bake and serve:
- Place the pan into the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes.
- Cut the sausages in half.
- Once the timer goes off add the sausages to the pan and place the pan back into the oven.
- Set the timer for 10 minutes.
- Once the timer goes off remove the pan from the oven and place a clean towel over the top.
- Let the dish rest for five minutes.
- Remove the towel and garnish with parsley and green onions, then serve.
Notes
Test Kitchen Notes
The presentation factor of this dish should not be underestimated. It arrives at the table looking like a wagon wheel of color, with the chicken, sausage and peppers serving as the thin spokes surrounded by yellow rice. The background flavor provided by the reduced wine, saffron threads, Aleppo pepper, and sautéed aromatics is subtle enough for each of remaining ingredients to have its own moment in the sun. Thirschfeld wisely advises seasoning at every step so that the abundance of rice left after the dish’s main elements have been eaten is a pleasure rather than a clean-your-plate chore. - cheese1227 —The Editors