Easy Paella

Submitted by Rich Williams (‘62)
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Ingredients:

Marinade:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon ground paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
salt and ground black pepper to taste
Paella:
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil, divide
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups uncooked short-grain white rice
1 pinch saffron threads
1 large bay leaf
½ bunch Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 quart chicken stock
2 medium lemons, zested
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium Spanish onion, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound chorizo sausage, casings removed and crumbled

Cooking Instructions:

  1. Mix olive oil, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper for marinade in a glass bowl.
  2. Begin paella: Add chicken and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
  3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or paella pan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes, then stir in rice. Cook and stir until rice is coated with oil, about 3 minutes.
  4. Add saffron threads, bay leaf, parsley, chicken stock, and lemon zest. Stir until well combined and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
  5. While the rice is cooking, heat olive oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Stir in marinated chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
  6. Add bell pepper and sausage; cook and stir, breaking sausage up with a spatula, for 5 minutes. Add shrimp; cook and stir until shrimp are bright pink on the outside and the meat is opaque, about 2 minutes.
  7. Spread rice mixture onto a serving tray. Top with meat and seafood mixture.

Tips

Try using cubes of cured Spanish chorizo to speed up prep time.