Paella with Chicken
- 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
- saffron threads, pinch
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, halved
- 7 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and thickly sliced
- 2 artichokes, cleaned, hearts quartered
- 2 ounces green beans, trimmed
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, grated
- 1 large ripe tomato, halved and grated, skin discarded
- 1 1/2 cup Arborio or other medium grain rice
- 1/4 cup cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Heat 1/2 cup of the broth in a small pot until hot, add saffron, cover and set aside to let infuse for 15 minutes.
Bring remaining 3 cups broth to a simmer in a medium pot.
Turn off heat, add the saffron-infused broth and taste; add salt if needed. Keep hot.
Set a large, wide frying pan or paella pan over medium high heat and add oil.
Brown chicken on both sides and transfer to a large plate.
Add 6 cloves garlic and peppers to pan and lower heat to medium. Cook 10 to 15 minutes, or until peppers are soft.
Transfer peppers to plate with chicken and add artichoke hearts and green beans to pan. Cook 10 minutes, or until tender.
Meanwhile, peel skin off peppers, if you like, taking care to keep strips in one piece.
Transfer artichokes and green beans to plate with chicken and add onions and tomatoes to pan.
Season with salt and cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has evaporated and liquid is thickened and a dark reddish-brown color.
Add remaining garlic clove and rice to the onion-tomato mixture and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Shake the pan to spread the rice out evenly. Pour in hot broth, garbanzo beans, and chicken and artichoke hearts.
Lay the peppers and green beans over the top.
Cook over medium high heat without stirring, moving the pan often to make sure everything is cooked evenly.
When the rice begins to soften, lower heat to medium low. Continue to cook, rotating pan, until the liquid has been absorbed.
Cover the pan with foil and cook another 2 minutes, moving the pan constantly and focusing the heat on the outer circumference of the pan. The rice will start to crackle as it caramelizes. If it starts to burn, remove from heat immediately. Let paella rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Serve directly from the pan.
Variations:
For seafood paella, substitute fish stock for chicken broth, and use any combination of clams, shrimp, scallops, calamari, and mussels instead of chicken and vegetables.
For vegetarian paella, substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth, use tofu instead of chicken, and add your favorite vegetables and mushrooms.
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- 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
- saffron threads, pinch
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, halved
- 7 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and thickly sliced
- 2 artichokes, cleaned, hearts quartered
- 2 ounces green beans, trimmed
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, grated
- 1 large ripe tomato, halved and grated, skin discarded
- 1 1/2 cup Arborio or other medium grain rice
- 1/4 cup cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed