Chicken and Pepper Paella

The Recycled Cook

Chicken and Pepper Paella

Another classic dish today, "Paella" 
but this is not the dish every tourist expects. Paella is basically a leftover dish, buy all the ingredients and it will cost a lot of money but these are ingredients most Spanish households would always have always.

 I had some previously cooked Chicken thighs on the bone, red and orange peppers and some French beans.

I used a Paella pan on a tripod but a large frying pan or wok works fine. To start heat some extra virgin olive oil in the pan. 
Add chopped onions, peppers, garlic, beans (blanched) to the pan and cook until the onions start to soften.

 Add the rice and fry in the oil,stirring into the mix. Add a dash of white wine Vermouth or dry sherry (Fino or Manzanilla would be perfect). 

 Once the alcohol has burnt off add a ladle of hot Chicken or Vegetable stock, (I used both) stir in and allow to absorb the liquid. 

 Keep adding just as for Risotto but after the first stir leave it alone. You want the base to become crusty, what the Spanish call the Soccorat.
Test the rice periodically and add more stock if you feel it is drying out, remember nit to stir.

 Once  the rice is just cooked (al dente) you are ready to serve. Crusty bread works well with this and of course some Spanish wine.

 I would normally add some king prawns at this stage but lacking them  decided to opt for crispy chicken skin.
I had already saved the skin when I boned the chicken thighs so it was just a matter of frying them off and draining on kitchen roll.

 The current good weather lends itself so well to this kind of cooking, especially if you cook it outdoors but it will work perfectly fine on the hob.



Disclaimer: The suggestions and tips on these blog pages are meant to be used in conjunction with common sense. Keeping your family healthy is the priority. Do not use food that is unfit for human consumption and always follow sensible food hygiene guidelines.

  

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/homehygiene/Pages/food-leftovers-safety.aspx


Always be careful in the kitchen, we accept no responsibility for any accidents caused as a direct or indirect result of preparing any of these dishes. 

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