- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 pounds chicken meat, dark and light, on the bone with the skin intact, cut through the bone into smaller segments of breast and thigh meat
- Fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound fresh, Spanish-style chorizo sausage, cut crosswise into coin-size rounds
- 1 onion, diced (about ½ cup)
- ¼ teaspoon saffron threads, soaked in ¼ cup hot water for 10 minutes
- 1 cup Valencia or other Spanish rice, picked over
- 2½ cups homemade chicken stock or low-sodium, store-bought chicken broth
- ½ cup fresh green peas or defrosted frozen peas
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Set the paella pan over medium heat. Pour in 2 tablespoons of the oil and let it get nice and hot. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add it to the pan, and brown it all over; about 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter and set aside.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pan. Add the sausage slices to the pan and brown them for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
- Return the chicken to the pan. Add the soaked saffron threads with their liquid, the rice, and broth, stir, and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and let simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Stir in the peas, return the pan to the oven, and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Serve the paella from its pan or a festive serving dish or bowl. Present it with a large spoon so people can take the heaps they’ll want.