I love a good Paella, but I don't like the price of a good Paella, So I decided to do some research on a Paella that would be quick, easy, and not very expensive. As a Chef, I did what I always do. I hit up all of my cookbooks and ran to my computer and hit up the web. After a few hours of research, I found a recipe that was easy to adapt to my needs and one that is fun to make. I happen to find a site by Chef Laura Vitale. She has an amazing video blog and offers great recipes for everyday people.
Ingredients:
2 ¼ cups of Paella Rice or Risotto Rice
8 oz Spanish Style Chorizo, sliced thin
1 ¼ lb of Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Thighs, cut into large chunks
1 Large Yellow Onion, finely diced
4 Cloves of Garlic, minced
About 6 Cups of Chicken Stock
¾ cup of Canned Chopped Tomatoes
Large Pinch of Saffron
1 tsp of Smoked Sweet Paprika
About 4 Tbsp of Olive Oil
½ cup of Fresh Parsley, chopped
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1) In a very large Skillet or an 16” Paella pan, add 2 Tbsp of the oil and preheat it over medium high heat.
2) Heat the stock in separate saucepan
3) Add the chorizo to the Paella pan and sauté the sausage until the oil and flavor from the sausage has been released into the pan. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper and allow it to brown on all sides.
4) Add the onion, and garlic, and cook until fragrant and onions and garlic develop some color.
5) Add the rice and paprika and cook the rice for three minutes
6) Add the canned tomatoes, saffron and stock, bring the mixture up to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover with aluminum foil, and cook the mixture for about 15 minutes or until the rice is just about cooked but still has a bite.
7) Remove the foil and turn the heat up and stir the paella until any liquid that is left has evaporated and the paella begins to sizzle. Taste the paella, it should be just about done.
8) Cover with foil and let it sit for five minutes off of the flame.
9) Remove the foil again and taste for proper seasoning, and adjust if it is needed.
10) Garnish with lemon wedges and fresh chopped parsley.