Chicken and Artichoke Paella

Paella is an art form arguably initiated by the Spanish.  But now the cat's out of the bag, and you can find it many places, with myriad variations on the theme.

Here I use brown rice, Israeli couscous and roasted artichokes to make this unctuous arroz con pollo.

5 chicken thighs

1/2 sweet yellow onion, finely diced

2 carrots, finely diced

1 stalk celery, finely diced

1/2 cup short grain brown rice

1/2 cup Israeli (large) couscous (I used tricolor)

1 leek, cleaned and finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jar roasted artichokes (I used Trader Joe’s)

2 cups chicken broth

Preheat oven to 375F.  Brown the chicken thighs in a wide oven going skillet on the stovetop - I used a 14-inch cast iron skillet.  Remove the chicken to a plate.

Sauté the onion, carrot and celery in the skillet with a dash more olive oil if necessary.  Cook for about 8-10 minutes, until the veggies soften and sweeten. Add the rice and couscous and toast the grains for about 2-3 minuets.  Add a dash more olive oil if necessary.  

Add the leek and garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Nestle the chicken thighs into the rice and scatter the artichokes around them.  

Add the broth and bring to a gentle boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place paella in the oven and bake for about 20-30 minutes uncovered, until all the water is absorbed.  

Serve chicken with rice and artichokes. Serves 4.