Vegetable rice dish with chicken and chorizo

A Paella but made by an Italian!  This wasn’t a traditional paella, we used the vegetables we had to make a delicious rice dish...

for 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

4 breasts chicken, fat removed and cut into small cubes 

3 or 4 chorizo sausages or obviously Italian sausage depending what you prefer.  Cut into pieces. 

3 carrots, remove skins and cut into small cubes

1 courgette cut into small cubes

1/2 small bag of green beans trimmed and cut into half

1 red pepper, remove seeds and cut into small pieces

Small pack of frozen peas

1 small bottle of passata (we used a sugo which was already made and was delicious). Most Italians have sugo in their fridge 

2 or 3 cups of chicken stock, or vegetable stock

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

2 cups arborio rice (300g)

1 cup white wine  (240mL)

Method:

Add the stock to a medium pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the stock is boiling, reduce the heat to low or remove the pan from the heat and keep within close proximity.  

Heat the olive oil in a wide, tall pot over medium heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the chicken and brown, stirring frequently and allow to cook.  Once cooked remove chicken from the pot.  

Start by cooking the chorizo sausage then add the garlic, stir, and cook for 1 minute on low until the garlic is aromatic.  Don’t burn the garlic as it will become bitter. 

Add the rice and stir until fully coated in the mixture.  Let the rice toast for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.

Add the white wine and cook until the wine has evaporated, stirring occasionally.

Next add the carrots, green beans, courgettes and red pepper.  Add the blended tomato or sugo and combine together. 

Add 1 cup (240 ml) of the hot stock and stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, until the stock is fully absorbed.   Continue to add the stock, ½ cup (120 ml) at a time, stirring continuously, until the broth is fully absorbed, for 15-20 minutes. Depending on how fast the rice cooks, there may be leftover stock.  Add the peas ten minutes into cooking the rice.   Also, add the cooked chicken too.  Taste the risotto, add salt if needed.  It may not require it as the sausage and stock provide flavour.  Add some pepper to your required taste.

Once the rice is al dente, remove from the heat.  Add the butter and allow to melt into the rice.

Plate up and top  with parmigiano reggiano or your favourite cheese if you wish!  We didn’t!  This dish is very tasty without cheese but the decision is yours! 

Enjoy your Vegetable rice dish with chicken and chorizo.