Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 200C | 390F. Wash and pat chicken dry with a paper towel. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Heat a small amount oil in a 10-12 inch cast iron pan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Sear chicken thighs skin-side down, turning once until golden brown on both sides, (about 3 minutes each side). Transfer chicken to a plate.
- Pour out half of the fat from skillet and add onion and bacon. Fry, stirring, until onion has softened and bacon has crisped (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic, paprika and saffron; cook until fragrant. Add tomatoes and peppers, fry until soft. Stir through the stock (or broth), stirring all ingredients to combine well. Salt to season (if needed).
- Add rice and allow to simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Return the chicken and any juices from the plate to the pan; cover with a double layer of foil and transfer to the oven to bake for 40 minutes.
- Uncover the pan and check that rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Change oven setting to grill/broil (on medium-high heat – depending on your oven). Transfer chicken pieces to a clean plate; stir peas through the rice, covering them with the hot rice as much as possible; place the chicken back on top of the rice and grill/broil for about 10 minutes OR until the chicken is golden and crisp, and the peas are cooked through. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
Notes
If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, any heat-proof pan would work OR cook first in a normal frying pan, then transfer over to an oven-proof baking dish
