Paella
Paella is a classic dish from Spain made with saffron, Bomba rice, vegetables, chicken, and seafood, It is made and served in a Paella pan and makes for a beautiful presentation and easy clean-up.
Prep time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 40 minutes
Total time: 1 hour Yield: 6
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil
½ lb. Italian hot or sweet turkey sausages, cooked to almost done, sliced thin
3 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces and cooked to almost done
1 onion, diced
½ red bell pepper, diced
½ green bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
2 cups Spanish rice (Bomba – can be purchased online)
3 Roma tomatoes, very finely diced or 8 oz. tomato sauce
Bay leaf
1 tsp. paprika
1 pinch saffron thread
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup white wine
¼ cup fresh chopped parsley, divided
3 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
½ cup frozen peas
½ lb. jumbo shrimp or prawns, about 12, peeled, tail on
½ lb. scallops
8 oz. calamari rings
Lemon, for garnish
Note: Don’t have a Paella pan? That’s ok! Use a large skillet, 14” diameter and 2” high. Also, it is best to brown the sausage and chicken first and then add the other ingredients in an orderly fashion so that the paella is cooked to perfection.
Instructions:
1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or a paella pan over medium-high heat. Brown sausage for about 5 minutes. Remove the meat, slice thin, and set aside. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add it to the pan, browning it on all sides for about 7 minutes. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Lower the heat to medium, add the onion, bell peppers, and garlic and cook until onion is translucent.
3. Add the rice to the pan and lightly toast it, stirring gently for about 2 minutes.
4. Add chopped tomato, bay leaf, paprika, saffron, salt and pepper. Add chicken and sausage back to the pans. Stir to incorporate.
5. Add white wine and fresh parsley. Pour the broth slowly all around the pan and jiggle the pan to get the rice into an even layer. (Do not stir the mixture going forward).
6. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Give the pan a gentle shake back and forth just once or twice during cooking. (Do not stir the rice).
7. Cook for about 15 minutes, uncovered. Then add the shrimp, scallops and calamari into the mixture (note the seafood can be sautéed in olive oil in a separate pan before adding to rice mixture if preferred). Sprinkle peas on top and cook, without stirring, for about 5 more minutes or until the shrimp turns pink, scallops opaque and calamari opaque. Watch for most of the liquid to be absorbed and the rice at the top nearly tender. Add more broth or water if the rice needs to continue to cook for more time.
8. Remove pan from heat and cover pan with a lid or foil. Let rest for 10 minutes.
9. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon slices.
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 535
Total Fat: 15 g
Total Carbohydrate: 59 g
Protein: 37 g
Equivalents: 5 -6 oz. Protein, 2 Starch