Europe At Your Table - Hojiblanca Olive & Chicken Paella
European olives have some serious staying power. For over 3,000 years, they have been uniting people (and tastebuds) around the world with their well-honed skill for growing the very best olives. These fruits are small but mighty – an integral part of the Mediterranean diet, these nutritionally dense, versatile bites enhance the flavours of any dish, and act as the perfect healthy and delicious Mediterranean-style snack any time of day.
If you don’t know it yet, meet the dark beauty, the Hojiblanca olive. Sharp, spicy notes, with an almond-like aftertaste, and thicker skin than most, iron-rich Hojiblanca olives are ideal for stews, tapas, and especially paella, the national dish of Spain, the classic Spanish rice dish originally from Valencia. Paella is a dish that brings people together, and olives (and their branches, to boot) are symbols of peace and friendship – combining all these positive elements, along with a rich cultural history, can only bring joy to your table.
Paella takes its name from the wide and shallow pan traditionally used to cook up this rice dish, one that contain proteins (chicken and seafood and meat, oh my!) along with saffron, which brings a unique yellow hue and aroma. Here, we’re upping your paella game with the addition of firm-textured and flavour-packed Hojiblanca olives, each bite delivering a slight bitterness and spiciness to this scrumptious comfort food dish.
So simple to recreate, this one-pot international meal is not only delicious, but also adaptable – prefer seafood over poultry? Go for it. However you decide to mix it up, your taste buds are sure to be awakened by the addition of Hojiblanca olives.
Hojiblanca Olive & Chicken Paella Recipe
ingredients
¾ cup Hojiblanca Olives
2 tbsp olive oil
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
3 cups Spanish Bomba rice, or other short grain rice 1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp tumeric 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
½ cup dry white wine. 1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes.
6 1/2 cups chicken broth. 1 large pinch saffron threads
lemon wedges, for garnish
directions
1. Place chicken broth in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat and add saffron threads to infuse broth.
2. Roughly chop Hojiblanca olives and set aside.
3. In a 16-18-inch paella pan or large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken with ¼ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper, add to pan and cook for 6 minutes until golden, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan and set aside with olives.
4. Using the same pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook stirring until softened, 2 minutes. Add red and green peppers and garlic, stirring for 2 minutes. Add the rice, smoked paprika, turmeric, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and cayenne pepper, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add white wine and diced tomatoes. Cook 2-3 minutes, until most liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally. Return chicken and olives to pan and add warm saffron-infused chicken broth. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes without stirring, allowing a crust to form. When rice is tender, and liquid is absorbed, remove from heat and cover with a cloth towel for 10 minutes to rest. Serve with lemon wedges.
Go on, take your seat at the longest table in the world - one that unites Europe and Canada through the taste, quality and variety of olives from Spain. Visit www.olivesatyourtable.ca to learn more about how you can travel abroad without leaving your table.
*This article is in collaboration with European Olives.
