THE CANNY COOK: Chorizo ​​rice

December is a month filled with cooking. There are preparations to make, parties to throw, and delicately spiced cakes and cookies to bake. For the most part, it’s pretty healthy and festive, but it all comes with a lot of washing up, which I definitely don’t enjoy. So when I’m not entertaining, preparing, or giving gifts, I keep things really minimal in the kitchen…and all-in-one recipes are my savior.

Preparing everything in one pan doesn’t necessarily result in a less sophisticated dish. It’s all about layering ingredients in the right way to get the most flavor and keeping everything in one place. A pan that can go from the hob to the oven is essential for this type of cooking. I have a few mainstays – a 28cm saute pan from Ninja which has been my favorite for a while and I also love my Perfect Pot and Always Pan from Our Place.

As for what I’ll be cooking, there will be the obvious soups, stews and curries, as well as one of my absolute favorites: baked rice. I know a lot of people are nervous about cooking rice from scratch, but baking it is a simple method with the advantage that the rice absorbs all the flavor of whatever is in it. the pan.

This week’s recipe is open to variations: swap out the vegetables and legumes, or add pieces of chicken breast to the pan as well.

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 180C fan/gas 6. Rinse the rice 2 to 3 times until the water runs clear, then soak it in a bowl of cold water.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet or sauté pan (or shallow casserole dish) over medium-high heat. and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Fry 1 finely chopped onion and ½ teaspoon of salt for 3-4 minutes. Roughly chop the chorizo ​​and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes in the pan. Core, core and slice the pepper and add to the pan and cook for another 4-5 minutes until everything starts to take on some color.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas and pour them into the pan, then drain the rice and add it, stirring everything to combine well. Pour in over 500ml of hot chicken stock and grind it with plenty of black pepper (a squeeze of lemon juice is also great if you have it).

Bring to a strong boil then transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. or until the rice is cooked through and everything is golden brown on top. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving with steamed green vegetables or a crunchy salad.

Do you have a good recipe for eating well and reducing your food bills? Email [email protected]. If we print it here we will send you a bottle of champagne

*This cost assumes you already have some basic ingredients in your cupboard. Prices taken from Tesco and correct at time of going to press.

Illustrations: Ellie Allen-Eslor