I’ve started seeking out tapas restaurants when we’ve been traveling lately. Tapas are Spanish small plates, and you are encouraged to try a bunch of different items, which is my favorite style of eating. Paella is the grand finale- a rice dish jeweled with meats, seafood, and some fresh vegetables. I always enjoy a meat and seafood combination, but paella can easily be made vegetarian or as a single meat dish. After sharing a delicious mixed paella at my bachelorette party last weekend, I knew I wanted to try to recreate it is as soon as I could. I made this last week while I was visiting my sister in Chicago and it was a big success.
Seafood Paella
Makes: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 35 minutes Total Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
2 chorizo sausages, thickly sliced (you can also use chicken sausage that is chorizo flavored)
2 tbs olive oil
1 yellow onion, small dice
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbs paprkia
2 tsp oregano
1, 15 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups Spanish rice or quick cooking brown rice
3 cups chicken stock
1 pinch of saffron threads
18 clams, scrubbed
18 mussels, cleaned well and scrubbed
18 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
freshly chopped parsley, for garnish
Directions:
1. Heat the paella pan over medium-high heat.
2. Cook the chorizo until it browns, about 3 minutes. Remove the chorizo from the pan and set aside for later use.
3. Add the onion and garlic to the pan. Saute for 3 minutes, or until the onion starts to become translucent. Add the paprika, oregano, and rice and saute another 2 minutes to coat.
4. Add the chicken stock to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. At this point you’ll want to season the rice with a good amount of salt and pepper, so that everything can cook and be seasoned at the same time.
5. Add the chorizo, clams, mussels, and shrimp into the pan, tucking the seafood into the rice so that everything is well incorporated. Give the pan a little shake to let everything settle and cook for 15 minutes uninterrupted.
6. The paella is done when the rice is nice and fluffy. Add the peas into the rice and serve in a large dish with fresh parsley on top.
Cooking In Red Socks 