Grandma’s comforting chicken paella

So before we dive deep into this amazing recipe, let me give you guys a little bit of information about what you’ll be making. Paella is a Spanish rice dish. It is one of the best-known dishes in Spanish cuisine. Because of this, non-Spaniards have dubbed it as Spain’s national dish, but actual Spaniards know it to be a dish from the Valencian region. The main ingredients are white rice, chicken, vegetables, and saffron. But, of course, there are many variations of the dish depending on your preference or what you have on hand. The beauty of this dish is that you can alter it a million different ways and use up anything you have in your kitchen. This recipe uses vegetables and chicken.

This dish is a quick and easy way to get a nutritious meal on the table that can bring a whole family together. The inspiration for this dish is a woman I hold dear to my heart. She’s a woman who has done nothing but love me and treat me as one of her own granddaughters despite having no blood relation to me. She is famous for her paella recipe, and even though this recipe may not do hers justice because it doesn’t have her unique touch, it has a lot of love in it.

Abuela may live a million miles away, and she might not be my family by blood. However, this recipe and the link it has to her makes me feel accepted into her family. With every bite, you can feel the warmness and love radiate throughout your body. It just goes to show that food can bring people together no matter the distance, and that is something truly special. I hope the love I have in this dish makes its way onto your table like her love makes it onto mine.

Serves 5–8 people

Ingredients

· 1 tbsp (3 grams) saffron threads, crushed

· 2 tbsps (30ml) Olive Oil

· 1.1 pounds (500 grams) Skinless, boneless chicken thigh, diced

· 2 cups (440 grams) Arborio Risotto Rice

· 1 Onion, chopped

· 3 cups (720ml) + 1 cup (240ml) Chicken or vegetable stock

· 2 ⅕ cups (400 grams) Tomatoes chopped, canned

· 2 tbsp (28 grams) Tomato paste

· 1 cup (237 grams) Peas

· 1 yellow capsicum, torn into pieces

· 1 red capsicum, torn into pieces

· 1 cup (200 grams) Parsley or Basil, chopped

· 2 tbsp (30 grams) salt

Method

1. Boil 3 tbsps water and add the saffron, then set aside
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the paella pan over medium-high heat.
3. Cook chicken for 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned, then transfer into a separate plate.
4. Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining olive oil.
5. Add onion and rice and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Pour in 3 cups of the chicken or vegetable stock, tomatoes, and tomato paste.

7. Bring all that to a boil, stirring occasionally.

8. Add the chicken back into the paella pan and let simmer for 10 minutes, covered.

9. Uncover, adding the peas, and capsicum and let simmer for an extra 5 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed

10. Add the remaining 1 cup of chicken stock, the saffron water mixture, and salt in and stir.

11. Cover the pan and let the remaining liquid be absorbed till the rice is cooked. Depending on the brand of rice the amount of liquid needed may vary.

12. Sprinkle parsley on top and enjoy.