My paella de pollo this week is a little Final Fantasy XV fun. It’s also a good indicator that the season has changed. We’ve had several days of intense rain and wind here on the south coast. I’ve loved every minute of it. It definitely makes me want to make lots of comfort food, though. Paella de pollo fits that bill.
If I was Ignis, from FFXV, I would use a chickatrice leg and Saxham rice to make this. Since I have neither, I substituted chicken thighs and jasmine rice. I also tossed in some Andouille sausage, along with some veggies and a pinch of saffron. A little bit of smoked paprika rounds out the flavor.
One of the best parts of this recipe is that it freezes like a dream. This made three nights worth of dinner for the two of us, which means I’ll have a few nights in the future when I can come home, toss the paella de pollo in the oven to heat up, drink a glass of wine, and watch the rain come down.
Ingredients
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 shallot, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed and diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 1/2 cups rice
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup water
- 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 pinch saffron
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ground pepper to taste
- 1 cup frozen or fresh peas
- 2 pre-cooked Andouille sausage, sliced
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven. Add the onion and shallots and cook for five minutes or until lightly browned. Add the bell pepper and cook for two minutes. Add the garlic and cook for two minutes more. Remove the mixture from the pan.
- Add the chicken to the pan and brown on all sides - about two minutes per side. Remove the chicken.
- Add the rice to the pan and toast for a minute or two or until fragrant. Add the chicken stock, water, diced tomatoes, saffron, paprika, salt. Add in the onion/pepper mixture and the chicken. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and simmer for 20 minutes. If needed, add another cup of water. Add the peas and sausage and cook for another seven minutes.
- Serves six. Enjoy!
