While most paella recipes take an entire day to crank out, I turned to my favorite chef for simplifying international recipes: Mark Bittman. He included what he called “The Original Paella,” which is barely more than saffron infused rice with shrimp on top. His recipe is definitely weeknight friendly.
From this ultra-simple version, I added back in a few traditional ingredients to make it a bit more of a meal-in-one, and a little bolder in flavor… peas, white wine, and smoked paprika.
| Servings |
| 4-6 |
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While most paella recipes take an entire day to crank out, I turned to my favorite chef for simplifying international recipes: Mark Bittman. He included what he called “The Original Paella,” which is barely more than saffron infused rice with shrimp on top. His recipe is definitely weeknight friendly.
From this ultra-simple version, I added back in a few traditional ingredients to make it a bit more of a meal-in-one, and a little bolder in flavor… peas, white wine, and smoked paprika.
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Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 large pinch saffron
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion
- 5 cloves garlic , crushed
- 8 ounces dried chorizo sausage , cut on the bias
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- salt
- pepper
- 1 heaping cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
- 2 cups arborio rice
- 1/2 cup white wine
- parsley , garnish
- lemon slices , garnish
Servings:
Units:
Instructions
- Add the broth, saffron, salt, and pepper to a pot and heat until very hot. Keep hot.
- Add the smoked paprika, chorizo, and frozen peas.
- Stir in the rice… season with salt and pepper.
- Add the hot broth and the wine and bring to a boil. Give it one last stir, then don’t touch it again! Reduce the heat and let simmer gently for 20-30 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
- In the last 10-15 minutes, decorate with shrimp.
- After the rice is tender and the shrimp is cooked through, you can cook the paella another few minutes on high to try and get the crunchy, crispy bottom paella lovers covet.
- Remove from the heat and cover with a towel for a few minutes.
- Serve with parsley and lemon wedges.