Chicken and Chorizo Paella (gf)

This impressive one-pan meal is easy to cook and beautifully flavoured with smoked paprika, saffron and chorizo.

6 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs

sea salt and ground pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, sliced 1 red capsicum, thickly sliced 3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme or rosemary 2 bay leaves

1½ teaspoons smoked paprika

3 cured gluten-free chorizo sausages, cut into 2cm pieces

good pinch saffron threads (optional)

400-gram tin crushed tomatoes

1½ cups Spanish rice, e.g., calasparra or bomba

1 litre chicken stock

EQUIPMENT: 30cm paella pan or sauté pan.

Cut the chicken thighs in half or into thirds if large. Season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in the pan and cook the chicken skin side down until deeply golden. Transfer to a plate.

Add the onion, capsicum, garlic, bay leaves, thyme or rosemary, paprika, chorizo and saffron, if using, to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add a little more oil if needed.

Stir in the tomatoes and rice, then add the stock. Season generously with salt and pepper, then nestle in the chicken along with its juices. Reduce the heat to low and cover the dish with foil. Cook, without stirring, for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender but still with a little bite to it. Turn off the heat and leave for 5 minutes before serving. SERVES 6

COOK’S NOTE: We topped the paella with quick-fried green beans. Heat a little olive oil in a sauté pan. When hot, add a layer of beans and cook over high heat for about 2 minutes until lightly blistered. Season with salt.