Perfect Paella

My first memories of paella were as a child on a family holiday to Spain. Served buffet style, by the pool, I remember a huge pot bubbling away full of ingredients I didn’t recognize as food. At the time, my fish intake extended to the kind coated in breadcrumbs so the sight of shells and tentacles were somewhat daunting. Needless to say, I picked around the suspicious creatures and hoped something British would be on the menu the following day.

Fast forward two decades and my travels to Spain are fondly remembered for their wonderful tapas, wines and amazingly, paella. The star is undoubtedly the saffron, which has a unique scent and flavor. From Spain to my kitchen in Sewickley, PA., I think I have created the perfect paella. Perfect for my house, anyway. This is the great thing about paella… it’s essentially a broad spectrum of ingredients and flavors. You can play around with the level of spice, pick the meat and select how fishy you want to go!

Ingredients (Serves 5):

The pot:

2 cups Arborio rice

5 1/2 cups chicken bone broth/stock (I use Pacific)

1 tbsp olive oil

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

6 medium tomatoes (on the vine), chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 lemon, squeezed

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp saffron

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/2 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp rosemary

The pan:

1 tbsp olive oil

3 chicken breasts, cut into strips

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 tsp rosemary

20 medium shrimp, defrosted

2 Andouille sausage, casings removed and roughly chopped

3 cups spinach, roughly chopped

10-15 Kalamata olives, halved

Spinach and olives, finely chopped, for garnish

Method:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot and sauté the onion until softened.
2. Stir in the tomatoes, pepper, garlic, herbs and spices, and cook for 5 minutes.
3. In the meantime, heat the stock in a separate saucepan.
4. Add rice to the pot and using a ladle gradually pour in the stock, stirring regularly. Set the timer for 25 minutes.
5. While the rice is cooking, make a marinade by adding the olive oil, herbs and spices to a bowl. Cover chicken.
6. Heat olive oil in a frying pan and cook the chicken for 8 minutes. Set aside.
7. Cook the sausage in the same pan for 5 minutes and set aside with the chicken.
8. Repeat process for the shrimp, cooking for approximately 3 minutes.
9. When the rice is cooked, stir in the spinach until wilted.
10. Add the meat, fish and olives to the pot and stir well.
11. Distribute to bowls and finish with a scattering of finely chopped spinach and olives.
12. Perfectly paired with a glass Rioja.

While it might not be a low calorie option, my paella is an excellent source of protein, iron, vitamins A & C, and can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet.

enjoy!