Originally published on June 17, 2014
Sometimes you just want to try a dish that comes from somewhere else in the world, even if you don’t know exactly what that dish is. One night, as I was staring at a full roaster chicken, I decided I wanted to go Spanish with it. The only problem? Other than tomatoes, I didn’t really know what flavours were heavily used in Spain (although I’ve heard they use a lot of the same ingredients as Italians, just in different ways.) After a quick Google search, I found some of the main ingredients used in Spanish cooking – tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, rosemary, peppers, parsley, olives, paprika, wine, and onions – and that I had on hand. When I put them all together the end result was something much like Spanish rice with a whole ton of vegetables, and beautiful pieces of chicken sitting on top.
Ingredients:
1 roaster chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 green pepper, diced
1/4 cup green olives, sliced
2 tablespoons capers
1 cup asparagus, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoon paprika
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups long grain rice
3 red chili peppers, dried (or 1 tablespoon red chili pepper flakes)
Salt
Pepper
Directions:
1.) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2.) Season the pieces of chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Place olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat and when hot, add all pieces of chicken, skin side down. Cook for about 5 – 7 minutes, until chicken begins to turn golden brown and then flip and cook other side for another 5 minutes. Remove chicken from the pan, place on a plate, and set aside.
3.) Turn the heat down to medium and add to the skillet: green pepper, olives, capers, asparagus, garlic, green onions, parsley, and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper, stir, and cook for just about 3 minutes, until all vegetables start to soften.
4.) Add rice to the pan, stir to ensure rice has been evenly coated in fat, and then cook for 1 minute.
5.) Add white wine to the pan, stir, and scrape up any brown bits that have formed on the bottom of the pan. Add the paprika, chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, parsley, rosemary, and dried peppers (or dried chili flakes.) Stir well to ensure that everything is fully combined, and then place chicken pieces back right on top (try not to submerge them or cover the skin with any liquid, as that will result in soggy, rubbery skin.)
6.) Place the entire skillet in the oven and allow to bake for 30 – 40 minutes, until the rice is cooked and chicken is fully cooked through (juices should run clear when pierced with a knife.)
7.) Serve and enjoy!