Debbie Quinn has a lifelong love of food and cooking, nurtured in her parents’ restaurants and in her own family’s kitchen. Every fortnight she shares her passion and expertise with our readers, bringing her best recipes, tips and tricks to the table.
The inspiration for this dish came from a lunch we had in a charming plaza on our trip to Seville in Spain. It’s a simple, lovely dish you can share with family and friends.
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil.
2 chorizo sausages, sliced (not too thin, ½cm).
1.2kg chicken thigh fillets, bone in.
Salt and pepper.
1 tsp smoky paprika (you can use normal paprika if you don’t like the smoky flavour).
1 brown onion, cut in half and thinly sliced.
6 cloves garlic, finely sliced.
1 green capsicum, cut into strips.
1 red capsicum, cut into strips.
500g chicken stock.
410g can diced tomatoes.
1 tbsp tomato paste.
Method
Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper, toss to coat the chicken with the paprika.
Heat a large nonstick pan, add the oil and cook the chorizo until brown on both sides, Remove the chorizo and set aside.
In two batches, brown the chicken in the same pan for 3 minutes each side. Take out the chicken and set aside on kitchen towel to absorb extra oil. Pour away excess oil from the pan, leaving about 1 tbsp in the pan. Add the onions, sprinkle with salt and cook, stirring occasionally on a low heat for 5 mins. Add the capsicums and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally for a further 10 mins.
Put the chicken pieces on top of the capsicum mixture, combine the stock, tomatoes and tomato paste and pour over the top of the chicken. Simmer for 20 to 25 mins over med-low heat, again stirring occasionally.
Remove the chicken pieces and bring the liquid to the boil. Then turn the heat down and simmer for a further 10 mins until the sauce thickens slightly.
Return the chicken and the chorizo to the casserole and heat through.
Lemon rice
Ingredients
2 cups long grain rice (I prefer Sun Rice Doongara Clever Rice).
3 cups water.
1 tbsp Massel chicken stock powder.
1 lemon, cut in half.
1 tbsp chopped parsley.
Method
Wash rice under cold running water until the water runs clear. This will take a couple of minutes and will remove starch from the rice so it’s not too gluggy.
Place the rice, water, chicken stock and lemon in a medium pot with a tight lid. Bring to the boil. As soon as the rice starts to boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer, put the lid on and simmer covered for 15 mins. Turn off the heat and leave the lid on for a further 10 mins.
Fluff up the rice with a fork, add the parsley and the rice is ready to serve.
Tip: If you like a bit more lusciousness, add a dob of butter to the rice when you fluff it up.