This recipe is adapted from Andrea Chesman’s book Serving Up the Harvest. I’ve made this recipe with snow peas, sugar snap peas, green beans or broadbeans supplementing or replacing the peas, and I often add paprika, chilli, oregano, thyme, or whatever other vaguely Spanish herbs and spices seem good to me. It’s an, easy, tasty and healthy supper dish that makes a nice lunch the next day.
Your Shopping List…
2 cups basmati rice2 1/2 cups chicken stock (homemade if you have it)
1/2 cup dry sherry (though I’ve used marsala on occasion)
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads 2 tbsp olive oil 500g boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1 inch cubes
1 onion, diced 1 fresh chilli, or see my suggestion above regarding dried herbs and spices
4 crushed garlic cloves (but I won’t tell if you use more)
2 cups fresh peas, frozen peas or a combination of these with snow or sugar snap peas, or broadbeans
2 roasted red peppers, sliced (or more! fire-roasted peppers are particularly good here)
20 pimiento-stuffed green olives, sliced 1/4 cup chopped parsley
salt and pepper
Now what will you do with it?
Rinse the rice in a sieve and until water runs clear. Drain well.
Combine stock, sherry and saffron in a small saucepan and warm gently.
Heat oil over medium heat, add chicken (and any dried herbs or spices you plan to use) and sautée for a couple of minutes or until partly cooked. Add onion and garlic (and fresh chilli, if using), and continue to sauté until the chicken is white and firm. Add the rice and sauté until it appears toasted.
Stir the stock mixture into the rice. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle boil. Cook for three minutes, then add the peas and continue to cook for another 10 minutes or so, until the liquid is absorbed and the peas are tender.
Fluff the rice with a fork and stir in the roasted peppers, olives and parsley. Season to taste and serve.