Quick Chicken Paella with Sugar Snap Peas

 
 

This'll be a short post today, as I have lots of things going on. 

I saw this quick Chicken Paella in Bon Appetit Magazine and thought it would be a quick, easy dinner to throw together.  And it was.  In about an hour, the entire dish was finished and I was left with a delicious dish that left me food for days (and days, and days... I think it's time to get rid of the leftovers). 

Tender chicken thighs are rubbed with smoky paprika and cooked on a bed of basmati rice, simmering in a broth of chicken stock, tomatoes, saffron, onions, white wine, and roasted red peppers as the grains soak up the juices and result in a deliciously tender, creamy rice and tossed with spanish chorizo (to keep it healthier, I actually used andouille chicken sausage) and crisp sugar snap peas that lends a wonderful textural contrast and a refreshing change to the dish.  

Now, paella purists may have me blackmailed for this one.  Is this exactly like paella? No.  Is it a nice substitute for those of us who lack paella pans (like... 99% of the population?) and the time to put in to make the beloved dish? Absolutely.

Jack especially loved this, but is now demanding more Top Chef-like meals, so you'll be seeing some very complicated recipes in the coming weeks. I'm going back to my roots. I've been slacking. 

Quick Chicken Paella with Sugar Snap Peas adapted from Bon Appetit

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 large chicken thighs with skin and bones, excess skin and fat trimmed (about 2 1/2 pounds)
• 4 ounces 1/4-inch-thick slices fully cooked smoked Spanish chorizo (or, for a healthier option, spicy chicken sausage)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
• 2 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
• 1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers from jar
• 2 1/2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed (about 8 ounces)

PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix white wine and saffron threads in small measuring cup; set aside. Combine salt, smoked paprika, and black pepper in small bowl; rub spice mixture all over chicken thighs. Heat heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chorizo and sauté until fat begins to render and sausage browns, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Transfer chorizo to large plate. Add olive oil to skillet. Add chicken thighs to skillet and cook until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate with chorizo.

• Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings from skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Add chopped onion and cook until translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add long-grain rice and stir to coat. Add wine-saffron mixture and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of skillet. Add chicken broth, tomatoes with juice, and roasted red peppers. Bring to simmer. Stir in browned chorizo. Place chicken thighs, skin side up, atop mixture in skillet. Cover skillet tightly with foil, then cover skillet with lid. Bake paella until rice is almost tender, about 25 minutes.

• Transfer chicken to plate. Stir rice; season to taste with salt and pepper. Scatter snap peas over. Return chicken to skillet, nestling into rice. Cover with foil and lid. Bake until snap peas are crisp-tender, rice is tender, and chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes longer.

Comments

[Tangled Noodle]

We always need a dish like this - flavorful, plentiful and requiring only a small amount of time and effort to prepare. It's what gives us enough time to devote to more complicated recipes! I love your Top Chef dishes, but I'll happily take a big serving of this quick paella.

[Tracey]

Thanks for the inspiration! I've been sitting here trying to figure out what to make for dinner and here it is :) Of course, I'll have to leave the peas out and hide the onions so my picky husband will eat it, but I'm super excited to try this dish.

[DailyChef]

I love the addition of snap peas! They give some wonderful crunch and a beautiful splash of green too :) Yum!

[Christine @ Fresh Local and Best]

T - This looks like an excellent recipe that I am looking forward to making for my family this week. I adore saffron and the extra kick in this recipe, and yes, I am one of those people w/o a paella pan. ;)

[Jennifer]

YUMMMMM! This looks delicious! I wonder if there is anything I can substitute for tomatoes????

[jenn (Bread + Butter)]

Yum!!! Paella is another thing I need to add to my list of things to cook. Looks really good!! Is it dinnertime yet?

[Wendy]

YUM. Love paella.

[A Bowl Of Mush]

Looks like a delicious dinner.
I Love paella!

[Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction]

Very pretty... I love snap peas, and you can't go wrong with paella. Lovely :)

[The Duo Dishes]

Purists sit down! If it's good, it's good. And this is a paella worth trying.

[Phyllis]

Oh YUM! Love the idea of adding snap peas for some crunch and sweetness. I also use a 'cheat' recipe when I make paella (who actually owns one of those giant paella pans?)

[Bianca @ South Bay Rants n Raves]

Quick and flavorful and a "mock up" of one of my favorite dishes? I'll take it!

[Mary]

Yum. I love paella....who has a paella pan? Weird people...I think they are like four feet across in Spain? Almost like the lid of a garbage can?!

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I'll have to leave the peas out and hide the onions so my picky husband will eat it, but I'm super excited to try this dish.

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