Our own Brittany Gordonn has a lovely recipe to warm you up!
Winter is coming which means we all begin to search for that meal that will fill us up and warm us up. Get you ingredients this week to prepare this dish this weekend!
This paella is exactly that, a hardy healthy meal for the family or a great addition to your meal prep list. This recipe makes a pretty large quantity of food and is guaranteed to please. Only downside is that it is definitely a weekend meal, give yourself some time, make it is a family event or invite some friends over to help you chop things up, have some sparkling water and a good conversation. Although it is nice to be able to make quick and convenient meals, food is more than just about eating. This recipe allows you to take a step back, slow down and make your meal a social event, plus you will likely get leftovers for days!
Chicken and Sausage Paella – Serves 6-8
Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
Cook time: 65-70 minutes
Ingredients:
4 cups Chicken stock
2 cups Water
2.5 tsp Paprika
4 tbsp Avocado oil
1 3-4 pound organic Chicken, butchered
5 spicy Italian sausages, organic turkey preferable
2 cups Long Grain Brown Rice
4 cloves of Garlic, minced
1 medium Spanish Onion, diced
1 Tomato, grated
1 tbsp Tomato Paste
4 Sun Dried Tomatoes, chopped
3 medium artichokes, quartered
2 sweet peppers, (orange, red or yellow)
1 cup frozen peas
1 tsp saffron (or 1 pinch)
Salt and Pepper
Directions:
Remove backbone and tips of wings from chicken place in a medium stock pot with chicken stock and water. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Do not cut cook time short the backbone and wing tips help add an additional dimension of flavour to the broth which will flavour the rice later. Once stock is done simmering remove wing tips and back bone, add in paprika and a healthy serving of rock salt (1-2 pinches). Be sure to taste the broth as you go to make sure you don’t over season.
While the stock is simmering begin to butcher your chicken. Cut each chicken breast into three pieces cutting through the bone, each leg should end up being a thigh and a drumstick, and allow wings to remain intact. Alternatively you can ask your butcher to cut the chicken up for you. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
In a large skillet (16-18 inches) heat ¼ cup avocado oil, oil should begin to bubble. Arrange chicken, skin side down, in to the large pan of heated oil. Brown chicken thoroughly, flipping throughout the browning process to ensure chicken doesn’t burn. This should take at least 20 minutes, do not rush this process as it helps to seal in the juices and provides flavour to the dish. Remove chicken from the pan and place on paper towel in order to absorb any excess oil.
Once chicken is browned remove and place 1 inch pieces of sausage into the same dish. Brown sausage for 15-20 minutes flipping throughout the process. Remove sausage once browned remove from dish and place on paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Add garlic and onions to the skill with remaining oil. With the help of a wooden spoon scrape off any brown bits on the pan. This is all seasoning so do not discard. Cook onions and garlic until they begin to sweat, about 5 minutes, then add in peppers, grated tomato, sun dried tomatoes and tomato paste and cook and additional 5 minutes. Add in rice and stir until it is well coated with tomato mixture.
Arrange chicken and sausage back into the skillet, top with peas, artichokes and saffron and carefully poor stock into the dish. Cover and bring up to a boil, once it begins to boil turn heat down to medium-low and allow to simmer, with the lid on for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes remove from heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes so it can absorb any leftover liquid, uncover and serve immediately.
