Culture

Spanish-Inspired Wild Rice, Chicken, And Chorizo Casserole

Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough|

Spanish-Inspired Wild Rice, Chicken, And Chorizo Casserole
3.5 (2 ratings)
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This dish is really arroz con pollo with wild rice. Wild arroz con pollo? Arroz salvaje con pollo? It doesn't make linguistic sense, but the dish is a complex meal, thanks especially to the wild rice. See all casserole recipes. Click here to see The Ultimate 1-Pot Meal Roundup. Click here to see 101 Ways to Cook Chicken
Servings
4
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound dried chorizo, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips about 1-inch wide*
  • 1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon saffron
  • 12 ounce dark beer, such as negro modelo or newcastle brown ale
  • one 28-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
  • one 9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and squeezed gently to remove excess moisture**
  • 1 cup green peas (no need to thaw if frozen)
  • 2 tablespoon sherry vinegar
  • 1 1/2 cup wild rice
Directions
  1. Since you'll be making this in a large Dutch oven, preferably one with a very heavy, tight-fitting lid, you'll need to figure out how it'll fit in your oven. Position the rack so that the covered pot sits as close to the center of the oven as possible with a couple of inches of air space above the lid.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees — without the pot in there!
  3. Place the pot over medium heat on the stovetop and get it warmed up. Pour in the oil, then add the chorizo pieces. Brown them well on all sides, about 4-5 minutes, turning often. Transfer to a plate.
  4. Add the chicken strips and brown them, taking care to stir occasionally so they don't stick, about 4 minutes. Transfer to the plate with the sausage pieces. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from the pot, then add the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring often, until softened somewhat, about 4 minutes.
  5. Stir in the thyme, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and saffron until very aromatic, about 30 seconds. Pour in the beer. As the foaming subsides, stir to scrape up any browned bits in the pot.
  6. Stir in the canned tomatoes and their juice, the artichoke hearts, peas, and vinegar. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a full simmer. Stir in the wild rice, then nestle the sausage and chicken strips in the pot. Once the sauce is back at a simmer, cover the pot and slide it into the oven.
  7. Bake until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, between 40-50 minutes, depending on the moisture content of the wild rice. Place outside the oven, covered, for 10 minutes to steam and meld the flavors before serving.
 
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