Ingredients
6 tablespoons olive oil
350g skin-free chicken thigh fillet
2 large Spanish onions, finely chopped
3 large globe artichokes
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
250g calasparra (paella) rice - or just use any short-grain rice such as Arborio
150ml medium to dry Oloroso or old dry Amontillado sherry
800ml hot chicken stock
1 small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
4 grates of nutmeg
1 lemon, in wedges
sea salt and black pepper


Method
Heat a 30-40cm paella pan or frying pan over a medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. When hot, stir-fry the chicken for 2 minutes or until fractionally rare in the middle. With a slotted spoon, remove the chicken and put to one side. Add the rest of the olive oil and the onions to the heated pan and soften over a medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring now and then.

Meanwhile, prepare the artichokes by discarding the tough outer leaves (you will know when you have discarded enough tough outer leaves because the base of the leaves will be yellow rather than green), cutting off about 2cm in from the tops (discard the cut tops) and peeling the stalks. Cut the stalks into ½ inch long pieces and the artichoke heart into eighths. Scrape out any furry choke with a teaspoon.

Add the artichokes to the softening onion along with the chopped garlic and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the onions and garlic have some colour (caramelisation) and sweetness. Stir in the rice and coat in the oil and vegetables for 1 minute. Up to this point everything can be cooked in advance. The next stage should be started about 20 minutes before you wish to eat.

Turn the heat to medium-high, and add the sherry. Cook off some of the alcohol for a minute, then add the stock. Bring to a gentle boil, season well at this point, then add half the chopped parsley and the nutmeg. Simmer for 10 minutes or until there is still enough stock to cover the rice. Spread the chicken evenly over the rice and then push each piece of chicken under the juice. Gently shake the pan to help prevent it sticking and turn the heat down to medium-low. Cook for 5 more minutes or until there is just a little liquid left at the bottom of the rice. Turn off the heat, cover tightly with a lid, and let the rice sit for 3-5 minutes before serving. Serve with the rest of the parsley on top, a salad and the lemon wedges.