Story time! It's a bit of a long story with lots of little details that matter, but I'll try to keep it short because
P A E L L A .
Early last year, 2014, Mike found himself with an ear infection that just wouldn't go. One thing led to another and he ended with a prescription of antibiotics that then went on to devastated whatever remaining gut health he may have had.
You might have thought that going 10 plus years as an undiagnosed Coeliac would been the cause of any increased food intolerance, but surprisingly pre-antibiotics he had no problem eating things like garlic, apple, dates, or tomatoes. Post antibiotics is an entirely different story, however. As a direct result of being on antibiotics, he came down with a severe case of gastritis, a condition in which the stomach lining becomes irritated and inflamed. Mike can recall one particular night after having a bit of bolognese for tea when his stomach flared up in so much pain that he was preparing for a trip to A&E.
Fast forward several months and a few different prescriptions later (including a prescription for the medical grade probiotic VSL#3 which seemed the have made the best improvement), Mike found himself in a much better state, but with continued gut problems. He still had difficulty stomaching many foods that we eventually realized were all high FODMAP foods, which are basically foods that contains difficult to digest carbohydrates/fibers that promotes IBS. The solution? Don't eat high FODMAP foods...at least for a long enough time that your gut flora improves. Boo. This is when Mike's already restrictive diet, got even stricter.
There was a bit of a learning curve when it came to preparing Low FODMAP food. I grew up in a family that roasts garlic most weeknights in the winter to spread on cracker and eat with cheese. Almost every recipe I knew requires either garlic or onions, many times both. Not cooking with these things felt almost sacrilegious. Eventually, I found a way to get over myself (I never claimed to be perfect after all). Now, I'm enjoying the process of reinventing old recipes to make them more IBS friendly because I know there have got to be other people going through the same thing we have.
That being said, I was really happy with the outcome of this paella made with fresh herbs and crispy
chicken. It takes a bit more preparation with the chicken, but it's well worth the effort. The rice cooked in the stock and spices is simple yet flavorful, and the fresh herbs add a bit of punch to the dish on the whole. I can easily see this becoming a weekly staple in our house.
Low Fodmap Chicken Paella
Fresh herbs, crispy chicken, and lots of flavor.
Ingredients
- 5 Bone in, skin on Chicken Thighs
- 2 tablespoons Garlic infused olive oil
- 2 cups (400 grams) Paella Rice
- 4 cups (1 liter) Chicken Stock
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 4-5 threads Saffron
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Lemon Zest and Juice
- 1 cup (150 grams) Peas
- 1 bunch Spring Onions (green part only) chopped
- small handful about 1/3 cup of 10 g Fresh Parsley chopped
- small handful about 1/3 cup of 10 g Fresh Mint chopped
- small handful about 1/3 cup of 10 g Fresh Dill chopped
Instructions
1. Start preparing your chicken by cutting the bones out. You'll need a decent pair of kitchen shears to be able to cut as close to the bone as possible and make sure to cut off the cartilage as well.
2. Once you have successfully deboned your chicken, sprinkle a generous amount of salt and pepper on both sides before transferring your chicken to a heated skillet with the garlic infused olive oil. Place the chicken skin side down in the hot skillet and let it fry undisturbed for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Rotate your pan periodically to ensure an even cook.
3. Once one side is crispy and golden, flip over the chicken thighs and cook on the other side an addition 5-10 minutes until fully cooked. Once the chicken is done, set it aside for later.
4. Starting now on the rice, place your paella in a pot, cover with chicken stock, add in all of your zest, half of the lemon juice, paprika, saffron, salt, and pepper. Bring the rice to a simmer on medium heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until it is almost completely cooked.
5. Add the peas and remaining half of the lemon juice to the rice and stir through.
6. Transfer the rice to the skillet you fried your chicken, then stir in your chopped herbs and continue cooking the rice until it is completely cooked. Place the chicken back in the skillet with the rice and leave on the lowest heat setting and allow everything to rest for a couple of minutes before serving.
2. Once you have successfully deboned your chicken, sprinkle a generous amount of salt and pepper on both sides before transferring your chicken to a heated skillet with the garlic infused olive oil. Place the chicken skin side down in the hot skillet and let it fry undisturbed for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Rotate your pan periodically to ensure an even cook.
3. Once one side is crispy and golden, flip over the chicken thighs and cook on the other side an addition 5-10 minutes until fully cooked. Once the chicken is done, set it aside for later.
4. Starting now on the rice, place your paella in a pot, cover with chicken stock, add in all of your zest, half of the lemon juice, paprika, saffron, salt, and pepper. Bring the rice to a simmer on medium heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until it is almost completely cooked.
5. Add the peas and remaining half of the lemon juice to the rice and stir through.
6. Transfer the rice to the skillet you fried your chicken, then stir in your chopped herbs and continue cooking the rice until it is completely cooked. Place the chicken back in the skillet with the rice and leave on the lowest heat setting and allow everything to rest for a couple of minutes before serving.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 4-5 servings
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