Paella with Shrimp, Chorizo, Chicken, and Mussels

Paella with Shrimp, Chorizo, Chicken and Mussels - a simplified recipe for paella made in a Dutch oven instead of a specialty pan.

This Dutch oven paella, a simplified version of traditional paella, takes only about an hour to make, including prep time.

Traditional paella, originating from the east coast of Spain, is made in a wide, flat, shallow, and specialized pan over a hot fire or burner to develop socarrat, or a crusty rice on the bottom of the pan.

Because this paella is baked in the oven, the rice does not get crusty on the bottom, however, there is a solution! If you want to develop the socarrat, cook the dish on the stove top for about five minutes over medium high heat without stirring after removing it from the oven.

This recipe has been inspired by the book Mark Bittman's Kitchen Matrix: More than 700 Simple Recipes and Techniques to Mix and Match for Endless Possibilities. Over 700 recipes in 300 pages! This inspiration came from the section Paella +Recipe Generator. He has several suggestions for meats, veggies, and seafood to add you your paella.

I ended up choosing to add shrimp, Spanish chorizo, chicken thighs, mussels, and peas.

For the rice, I used arborio rice, like the kind you use for risotto. If you can find bomba rice from Spain, definitely use it.

I have heard that there is some controversy as to whether or not sausage should be included in proper paella. Hopefully the Spanish food police won't come after me.

According to Mark Bittman, he has been criticized for calling a a recipe paella when it is really arroz con cosas (rice with things). Mark Bittman addresses the "rice with things" issue by saying "Well, paella really is just rice with things... (but) by applying that technique to a variety of ingredients... you can make something that really approaches great paella, even if a Catalan might scoff at it."

We both loved this paella. With just enough spice, and a nice variety of flavors, it made a delicious dinner. Lucky for me too, my husband happily skipped the mussels, leaving more for me.

I'm spending a year cooking through sections of the book with Wendy of A Day in the Life on The Farm and Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla. Check out what they made.

An InLinkz Link-up

paella, rice, chicken, mussels, chorizo

Main course

Spanish

Yield: 6 to 8 servingsAuthor: Karen Kerr

Spanish Paella with Shrimp, Chorizo, Chicken, and Mussels

ingredients

• 1 pound extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined 
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• Olive oil
• 12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in half crosswise
• 2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded, and cut in quarters, lengthwise
• 12 ounces Spanish chorizo, cut into 3/4 inch slices
• 1 medium brown onion, diced
• 1 - 28 ounce can whole tomatoes, drained, pulsed a couple of times in a food processor, and drained again
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 3 cups chicken stock or broth
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed saffron threads
• 1 pound mussels, cleaned and de-bearded
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
• Lemon wedges for serving

instructions

1. Toss the shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, 1 teaspoon of granulated garlic, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Refrigerate until ready to use. 
2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F with a rack on the lowest rung. 
3. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the jalapeños and cook for about 5 minutes, until slightly charred. Remove to a cutting board and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Set aside. 
4. Add another teaspoon of oil to the pan, and heat over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook on one side for three minutes. Turn them over, and cook for 3 minutes more. Remove the chicken pieces to a bowl, and set aside. 
5. Add the chorizo to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, until browned. Transfer to the same bowl with the chicken. 
6. Add a tablespoon of oil to the pan and heat until just shimmering. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the remaining tablespoon of granulated garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes. Add the rice, and stir until it is coated with the tomato mixture, about 2 minutes. 
7. Add the stock, white wine, saffron, bay leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the chicken and chorizo, and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, and transfer it to the oven for 15 minutes, until the rice absorbs the liquid. 
8. Take the pot from the oven and place the shrimp and mussels on top of the rice, and sprinkle with the jalapeños. Cover, and return to the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the shrimp is opaque and the mussels open. 
9. Remove the pan from the oven and place it back on the stove top. Sprinkle with the peas and turn on the heat to cook uncovered for about 5 minutes to develop a slight crust on the bottom. Turn off the heat, cover, and let the pan sit for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve with lemon wedges. 

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