Spanish chicken and rice

Method

1. 1

   Ask your butcher to cut a cleaned chicken weighing about 1.5 kg into small 4–5 cm pieces, keeping the breast pieces separate from the legs and wings. Nutrition is calculated using an estimated 1,000 g of edible meat and skin, excluding bones. Pat the pieces dry with kitchen paper; do not wash raw chicken. Peel and chop the 3 garlic cloves (9 g). Trim and chop the spring onion (200 g), deseed and chop the green pepper (200 g), and trim and slice the green garlic (100 g), discarding tough parts.

2. 2

   Heat the 40 g extra virgin olive oil in a heavy-based lidded casserole with a capacity of at least 5–6 litres. Season the chicken with salt to taste and brown over a medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, in two batches, turning to colour several sides. Do not crowd the pan or burn the browned bits on the base. Transfer to a plate, keeping the breast pieces separate. Browning does not yet cook the meat through.

3. 3

   Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook the spring onion and green pepper in the same casserole for 6 minutes, stirring. Add the chopped garlic and green garlic and cook for another 4 minutes, until softened, without letting the garlic burn. Stir in the 60 g tomato sauce and cook for a further 2 minutes.

4. 4

   Return the leg and wing pieces to the casserole with their juices. Add 300 ml of the 1,400 ml chicken stock and gently loosen the browned bits from the base. Cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes; there should be gentle bubbling and some liquid left. Heat the remaining 1,100 ml stock separately. The breast goes in later so that it does not dry out.

5. 5

   Add the 500 g round-grain rice, the breast pieces and any juices left on the plate. Pour in the remaining 1,100 ml hot stock and stir once to distribute the rice. Allow for the salt already in the stock; wait until the chicken is fully cooked before tasting and adjusting the seasoning. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook over a low heat for 16–18 minutes, or for the time stated on the rice packet. Do not stir while it cooks. The rice should be moist and tender, with the grains holding their shape.

6. 6

   Before switching off the heat, check the centre of the thickest chicken pieces with a clean thermometer, without touching bone: it should reach 75°C and stay at that temperature for at least 30 seconds. If the rice is ready but a piece of chicken has not reached that temperature, remove that piece and finish cooking it separately, covered, with a little liquid from the casserole. Take the casserole off the heat, leave the rice covered for 5 minutes and serve promptly, sharing the different chicken pieces between the 6 portions.