Justin Severino, the culinary force behind Morcilla and Salty Pork Bits, shares this cider-braised chicken paella with TABLE readers. It is a specialty of Asturias, the autonomous region in Spain whose cuisine inspired Morcilla’s menu, and it makes a terrific part of a tapas-style family meal..

Serves 4

Ingredients
4 chicken legs, bone-in, skin-on, separated into leg and thigh pieces
3 tbsp salt
1 ½ tbsp sugar
10 sprigs thyme
1 garlic head, cut in half
2 bay leaves
2 cups chicken stock or broth
2 cups apple cider
2 cups Sidra (Spanish cider)
4 tbsp butter
1 cup rice flour
2 cups vegetable stock or broth
100 g Calasparra rice
Mix of soft herbs (parsley, chervil, chives, dill)

Instructions

In a shallow sauté/braising pan, season the chicken legs and thighs with the salt, sugar, thyme, garlic, and bay leaves, let sit overnight in the fridge.

The next day preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover the chicken legs with the three liquids (chicken stock and the two ciders) and braise in the oven uncovered for about 1 hour. The chicken should be golden and caramelized on top and tender and the liquid should have reduced by about half. Let cool to room temperature. 

Pull the chicken legs and thighs out of the liquid and reserve and strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer. Pull all the meat and skin off of the bone while reserving the thigh pieces whole for later use.  

In a large sauté pan or paella pan begin browning the butter.

Dredge the chicken leg meat and skin in the rice flour, shaking off any excess, and add to the browning butter. Cook until it becomes golden brown and crispy.

Add the rice to the pan followed by the 2 cups of vegetable stock and the remaining braising liquid from the chicken.

Cook over medium heat until the rice absorbs the liquid, and the bottom layer of rice begins to stick to the pan for about 30 minutes. Taste the rice and adjust for seasoning with salt.

Place the chicken thighs reserved from earlier on top of the cooked rice in the pan and finish cooking in the oven at 350 degrees for ten minutes. Garnish with soft herbs.