Week Night Paella

Paella – what’s not to love.  It’s usually a dish that has to wait for a weekend with nothing to do but work through all the steps to make a proper batch.  Then we saw a version on Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street – one of our favorite food shows. The origins of paella and the regional variations are in the Milk Street article – fun stuff for the Serious Foodie.  But most importantly, their chefs came up with basically a one-pot meal which can be made in less than an hour.

We’ve modified the recipe a bit to make it even easier for you. Use our amazing Spanish La Plancha spice blend, some easy yellow rice (such as Vigo brand), and you’ll have an easy, flavorful, healthy one pot meal.

Want more Spanish flavor? Check out the Serious Foodie Grilled Shrimp Romesco. Or how about an elegant brunch with Eggs Benedict – Spanish Style?  You can find these, and 100’s more recipes, in our Recipes section.

Week Night Paella

This version of the Spanish classic is easy to make using the Serious Foodie Spanish kit, which is found exclusively on Amazon.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Cuisine healthy eating, paella, Spanish

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

• 1 jar Serious Foodie Spanish blend
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs patted dry, trimmed, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 12-18 large shrimp de-veined, shelled
• 4 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces chorizo (optional) Cut into 1/4 pieces. Use a high quality Spanish brand if available. Boarshead Superiore will work
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
• 8 ounces fresh green beans trimmed, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 4 medium cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 3 cups low sodium chicken broth Pacific brand is our favorite.
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary (optional) minced
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads (optional)
• 1 package Vigo Yellow Rice
• Salt and Pepper To taste

Instructions

 

• Place the chicken and shrimp in a bowl, and generously season with the Spanish spice rub. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours.
• Place 3 tablespoons of oil in a deep skillet (or, use a paella pan if you have one). Heat to medium high, then add the chicken and shrimp. Remove the shrimp to a bowl when it turns pink - about 2-3 minutes. Remove the chicken to a bowl when browned, about and additional 2-3 minutes.
• Place the chorizo in the pan, and cook until browned - about 3-4 minutes. Transfer the chorizo to a bowl.
• Add the tomatoes and green beans, and salt and pepper lightly. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the additional olive oil, then add the tomato paste. Cook, while stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and any remaining spice rub, then cook for about 30 seconds. Add the sherry and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
• Add the broth, rosemary, bay leaves, and optional saffron. Add back the chicken and chorizo. Bring the liquid to a boil, then sprinkle the rice into the skillet, distributing the grains evenly. Press the rice to make sure it's all submerged in the broth. Cook on medium for 10 minutes.
• Add the shrimp. Remove the pan from the heat, and cover for 5 minutes. You are ready to serve!

Notes

To quote the Milk Street recipe, "Don't forget to stir in the rice after sprinkling it into the pan. Distributing the grains in an even layer and making sure they're submerged ensures even cooking. But after that, resist the urge to stir. Undisturbed cooking allows the paella to form a nicely browned bottom crust called socarrat."

We served a version of this dish recently to fellow Foodies, and added mussels near the end of cooking - it was amazing! 

---

Check out all of our cool products at the Serious Foodie Shop