Somewhere in between a rice side dish and a one-pot meal—a form of paella, really—this can serve as either. A few bits of chicken browned along with the chorizo will go a long way. I love this with the warm taste of mild chile powder, but you can use hotter chiles or omit them entirely.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　2 1/2 cups chicken or beef stock, preferably homemade (page 160)

　　Large pinch of saffron threads, about 1 teaspoon, or 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

　　2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

　　1/2 to 1 pound chorizo or other dry sausage (linguiça, kielbasa, or “Italian” sausage are all fine), sliced

　　1 tablespoon minced garlic

　　2 teaspoons pure mild chile powder, like ancho, or pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika), or to taste

　　1 1/2 cups Arborio or other short-grain rice

　　1 tomato, preferably peeled, roughly chopped (or a couple of canned plum tomatoes, chopped)

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

　　

Step 1

Warm the stock gently in a saucepan with the saffron. Put the oil in a deep skillet with a lid over medium heat. A minute later, add the chorizo. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes.Add the garlic, chile powder, and rice and continue to cook, stirring, until the rice is glossy, just a minute or two.

　　

Step 2

Add the tomato and the stock, along with some salt and pepper. Cover and adjust the heat so the mixture simmers gently. Cook until the rice is done, 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then garnish and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.