Paella with Chorizo and Shrimp

This paella dish is very simple but the end result is hearty and flavorful. This can serve as a perfect one-dish meal or can be served along side some bread and salad for something more robust. I adapted this recipe my favorite cookbook, Coast, which oddly enough is Australian, not Spanish. See, anybody can make paella! The prep work is rather minimal, but allow plenty of time for the rice to absorb all of the wonderful saffron.

Serves 4

5 0z chorizo sausage, thinly sliced
10 frozen, cooked shrimp
Olive oil
2 red onions, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, cut into large dice
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 cups chicken stock
pinch of saffron threads
8 oz rice (plain white rice is fine)
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly shopped flat-leaf parsley
lemon wedges

Place frozen shrimp in a colander and run cold water over them for some time, to allow them to defrost and remove the tails.

Place a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat and throw in the sliced chorizo. Allow the chorizo to release some of its own oil and color slightly. When the chorizo is almost ready, toss in the shrimp to cook briefly, then remove the prawns and chorizo from the pan and set aside.

Put the chicken stock in a saucepan, add the saffron, and bring to a boil.

While the chicken stock/saffron is boiling, add some olive oil to the large pan and fry the onion and green pepper for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook until the vegetables are completely soft.

Add rice to the pan and mix well. Increase the heat and add the white wine, then the hot stock, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper to taste. After adding the seasoning, do not stir the rice again. Gently shake the pan from time to time to be sure the rice isn’t sticking.

Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook the paella for about 15 minutes, return the chorizo and prawn to the pan and allow to cook until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is almost cooked. Expect this to take at least another half an hour.

Let the paella rest a bit after the liquid has been absorbed and then sprinkle with a lot of fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges along the rim. Enjoy!

Filed under Recipes, Rice | Comments (5)

Lemon Mushroom Risotto

I was in awe the other day when I realized I’ve had this blog for over a year, and have yet to post a risotto recipe. Risotto is one of my favorite things to prepare because it’s so diverse and always a crowd pleaser. It also takes a bit of time and patience to make, rendering a product of some true TLC. I’ve tested out other sorts of risotto with saffron, shrimp and pancetta, but this dish is my one and only original, the first risotto I’ve ever prepared. I made it Wednesday night for E and it turned out just as well as I remembered. It’s so hearty that you can enjoy it on its own, or with a salad/vegetables. I made an arugula salad and it was a nice pairing. Enjoy.

Can serve 2-4 as a main, or more as a side

Ingredients:

2 2/3 cups boiling-hot water
1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms
3 cups chicken broth (or substitute vegetable broth if need be)
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1/2 lb mushrooms (oyster, cremini, shiitake, whatever you like)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons Arborio rice (8 oz)
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation:

Pour 2/3 cup hot water over porcini in a heatproof cup and let stand until softened, about 10 minutes. Lift porcini out of water, squeezing excess liquid back into cup, and rinse well to remove any grit. Coarsely chop porcini. Pour soaking liquid into a glass measure and reserve.

Meanwhile, bring broth and remaining 2 cups hot water to a simmer. Keep at a bare simmer, covered.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté cremini, stirring, until browned, about 7 minutes. Add porcini and reserved soaking liquid to skillet and boil, stirring, 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Cook onion in 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until absorbed.

Stir in 1/2 cup simmering broth mixture and cook at a strong simmer, stirring frequently, until broth is absorbed. Continue simmering and adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and letting each addition become absorbed before adding the next, until rice is tender but still al dente and creamy (it should be the consistency of a thick soup), 18 minutes. (There will be leftover broth.)

Stir in zest, mushrooms, remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, parmesan, parsley, and pepper to taste. (If necessary, thin risotto with some of remaining broth.) Serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from Gourmet Magazine via Epicurious.com.

Filed under Pasta, Recipes, Rice | Comments (3)

Crushed Red Pepper Shrimp and Bulgur

I love making grains and was thrilled last night to discover how quickly bulgur heats up in the microwave. Though Rachael Ray irks me, I’m fighting the temptation to call this a “30 Minute Meal!” Here is a nice, healthy weeknight dish with only a few ingredients. It is packed with flavor from the red peppers and the lemon juice adds a nice, crisp acidity.

10 large, frozen shrimp
1/2 cup uncooked Bulgur wheat
2 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tbsp crushed garlic
1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
Sea salt

Defrost and remove the shells of your shrimp by either nuking them in the microwave or running them under cold water for a couple of minutes.

Place bulgur in a microwave safe, deep bowl. Pour a cup of water over the bulgur and heat for 8-10 minutes.

While bulgur is cooking, heat the olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add shrimp, garlic, crushed red pepper and a dash of sea salt. Heat the ingredients and stir to blend for a minute or so then turn down heat. Add cooked bulgur to the pan and toss to combine.

Pour your crushed red pepper shrimp with bulgur into a bowl, toss with lemon juice and enjoy!

Filed under Pasta, Recipes, Rice, Shellfish | Comments (8)