Spanish Chicken and Rice -- The Second Night Is Always Better

News started reaching us in late January about some kind of respiratory illness spreading in China. The reports were vague and distant in the way that news from the other side of the world always is—real but not yet personal, important but not yet urgent. I read about it while eating breakfast one morning and then went to work on the pipeline and didn't think about it again until the next day's news cycle brought more of it.

You try to track which distant things will eventually arrive at your door and which ones won't. Sometimes you get it wrong in both directions.

Otherwise January continued the way January does here: cold, gray, quiet. I've been splitting firewood on my days off partly for the practical use and partly for the physical satisfaction of it. There's a stack behind the garage now that probably takes me through February twice over. The rhythm of it—the arc, the strike, the split—is meditative in a way that pipeline work isn't. Pipeline work is technical and team-based and requires attention. Firewood splitting requires only your body and the log and the cold air.

Caleb has been doing better. He called twice this week just to talk, which is more than his usual, and both conversations were light—football, a funny thing that happened at the school where he's been doing some substitute work, whether I thought the garden could handle a cold-hardy spinach variety he'd read about. He was present and easy in a way he hadn't always been last year. I noticed it without commenting on it. Sometimes you just let good things be.

Made a big batch of posole this week with hominy and dried chiles and a shoulder roast I'd had in the freezer. Fed it to Caleb and Hannah and Kai across two evenings and it was better the second night, the way these things always are.

The posole was already gone by the time I thought to write any of this down, which felt appropriate—some things are meant to be eaten, not documented. But the spirit of that week, feeding Caleb and Hannah and Kai something slow-cooked and warming, something that just got better sitting overnight, is exactly what this Spanish chicken and rice recipe carries for me now. It’s a different pot than the one I made, but it’s built on the same principle: one vessel, time, and a few honest ingredients doing their work while the firewood stack outside holds the cold back.

Spanish Chicken and Rice

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 4–6 pieces)
• 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, with juices
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped, for garnish
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

1. Season the chicken. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season generously on both sides with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
2. Sear the chicken. Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken skin-side down and sear without moving for 5–6 minutes until golden brown. Flip and sear the other side 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate; do not discard the drippings.
3. Build the base. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and bell pepper to the same pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4–5 minutes until softened. Add garlic, cumin, oregano, turmeric, and red pepper flakes; cook 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Add the rice. Stir in the rinsed rice and cook for 2 minutes, letting the grains toast lightly in the aromatics.
5. Add liquids. Pour in the diced tomatoes and chicken broth. Stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
6. Nestle the chicken. Return the seared chicken thighs to the pan, pressing them skin-side up into the rice mixture so the skin stays above the liquid.
7. Simmer covered. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover tightly and cook for 25–30 minutes, until the rice has absorbed the liquid and the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature 165°F). Check once halfway through; if the rice looks dry, add a splash of broth.
8. Rest and serve. Remove from heat and let the pan rest covered for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro and serve with lemon wedges.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 32g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 42g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 480mg