Paella

Prep Time: 25 minutes                 Cook Time: 1 hour                       Add to MyFitnessPal

Originating in Valencia on the east coast of Spain, Paella is the quintessential seafood smorgasbord - representing the history of when the Romans and Arabic peoples came together, each bringing their traditional use of spices, herbs, and seafood.

New and improved paella through the magic of a Dutch oven

Paella is a dish of deep, earthy flavors with aromas that grab you by the sinuses and don't let go until you've finally had your first bite. Highlighting the unique flavor of each ingredient in a harmonious blend, Paella is one dish that's worth every last second spent making it.

For those of you that had rice-based Paella pre-op, you're in for a treat - although it took me several tries, I think this one is pretty stinking close. For those of you who've never had Paella, especially if you've never cooked your own clams, this is as good a place as any to start. It takes a while to make, but is very easy and makes enough to feed the whole family and a few guests (12 servings).

Ingredients:
Cauliflower, riced - 4 cups
Mixed clams - 1 lb
Mussels - 0.5 lb
Shrimp - 15
Roma Tomatoes, diced - 3
Chicken broth: 2.5 cups
Olive oil - 2 Tbsp
Chorizo, chopped and crumbled - 8 oz
Chicken thighs, boneless skinless, cubed - 2
Onion, large, diced - 1
Garlic, minced - 2 cloves
Sea salt - 2 tsp
Saffron - 1 tsp
Paprika, smoked - 1/4 tsp
Black pepper, ground - 1/4 tsp
Parsley, raw, minced - 1/4 cup
Lemon, raw - 1

Preparation:
A quick note about clams and mussels: As soon as you get them home from the market, unwrap them so they can breath. These little guys are still alive and if they die before you're ready to cook them, they can ruin your dish. About an hour before you're going to start cooking, cover all of your bivalves in water and allow to sit for the duration. This will allow them to excrete any sand or salt they've got leftover from their time in the sea and make diagnosing dead ones easier.

When you remove the clams & mussels from the water, do so with a slotted spoon to leave any sand at the bottom of the soaking bowl rather than pouring them out. Check them 1-by-1 - each should be tightly closed and without any large cracks in their shells. If any are open (and refuse to close when you poke at the opening within 20 seconds or so) or have large cracks, throw them out. They're dead Jim.

Penn cove mussels, savary clams, manila clams - the trifecta of bivalve eating

Now set aside your shellfish, you'll be coming back to them later.

Prepare your mise en place. This will make everything go more smoothly once we're into the recipe.


Such a small amount of the most potent spices - it's a real kick in the pants

I love how these simple ingredient can transform into something so magical

Saffron is expensive stuff, don't buy more than you need. But I will tell you, as modifiable as this recipe is to your own ends, do not omit the saffron - it's what makes Paella taste like Paella. If you don't have saffron, don't even bother. If you have a Trader Joe's near you, they sell saffron in small amounts for very affordable prices.

The key ingredient

In a saucepan, begin heating your chicken broth. In a skillet, add 1 Tbsp of your olive oil and heat. Once at temperature, add the chicken and sausage - cook for 5 minutes, stirring until the chicken has browned on all sides.

Add the remaining oil, onion, garlic, tomatoes, salt, paprika, pepper and saffron. Continue to cook until the onions have softened, about 6-8 minutes.

Pour about 1/2 a cup of your broth into the skillet and stir in the riced cauliflower, simmering for 15 minutes or so.

While the cauliflower simmers, bring the remaining broth to a boil and add the clams & mussels. Cover and cook for 6-7 minutes, until the shells have opened. If any of them remain shut, toss them.

Add the shrimp to the other shellfish and simmer for 1-2 minutes until just beginning to turn pink throughout.



Almost done

Transfer the clams, mussels & shrimp into the bed of cauliflower, spacing roughly evenly throughout the pan. Cook for another 10 minutes and then remove from the heat. Let the cauliflower soak in the juices.

Serve immediately, top with minced parsley and a squeeze or two of lemon.

Shrimp, mussels, two kinds of clams, tomatos, saffron, lemon, heaven all in the same bowl



Nutrition (per 1/12 pan, about a cup and a half)

Calories: 226

Fat 7 g

Carbs: 8 g

Protein: 21 g

Sodium: 669 mg