Yes, this dish is very much inspired by paella. There’s lots of smoky paprika and a sofrito base, which is a mixture of bell pepper, onion, garlic, and tomato, and the traditional starting place for many Spanish dishes, from fideua to stewed oxtails.

But without a paella pan and calasparra or bomba rice, this recipe is a way for me to get paella feelings, using the ingredients and equipment already in my kitchen.

If I’ve got the time, I like to dry-brine the chicken overnight, so it’s seasoned to the bone and the skin gets super crisp. The sofitro puree is cooked down into a concentrated, jammy, brick-red paste that flavors the whole dish and adds so much richness that we don’t need any stock.

If you don’t have smoked paprika, don’t fret—the sofrito adds so much flavor, you won’t miss a thing.

I like to serve this rice with a few heavy splashes of extra-virgin olive oil and squeeze of fresh lemon, adding the same richness and flavor of the homemade aioli you’d typically find alongside paella. And if I’m feeling fresh, I’ll add a flourish of chopped parsley—but the dish is just as bright and vibrant without it.

read more about this technique here