Mixed Paella
By: Scott Koeneman
Published: Wednesday, March 31, 2010 - 5:24am

Ingredients




2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups dry rice
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1 bay leaf
6 sprigs thyme
1 quart fish stock or chicken broth
1 pound chorizo sausage, casing removed
1 Spanish onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3/4 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
1/2 pound firm white fish, cut into bite-size pieces
24 mediums mussels, cleaned
1 cup peas
1 lemon, zested
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Preparation

1 I a very large non-stick skillet or paella pan preheated over medium-high heat, add 2 teaspoons of your oil (you will need more oil if you're not using non-stick), garlic, red pepper flakes and rice. Saute for about 3 minutes. Add saffron, thyme, bay leaf and broth and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Leave covered, do not stir. 2 In another non-stick skillet, heat to medium-high. Add chorizo and crumble as you saute. When the sausage is cooked through, add red pepper and onion. Salt and pepper to taste if needed. Saute until the onion is tender and remove from heat, set aside. 3 When the rice is nearly done (about 15 minutes) add fish and shrimp and press into rice. Add mussels, peas and sprinkle with lemon zest. Cover and continue to simmer until the rice is done and the mussels have opened. Discard any that do not. 4 Top with chorizo mixture and parsley. Serve with lemon wedges and a crusty bread.

About


Despite not being as light as I normally cook, I was very happy with how this turned out. Each of the flavors were distinguishable, yet combined in a wonderful way. The dish worked out a little high in fat with 562 calories, 25 grams of fat and 2 of fiber. A wonderful celebration meal, but something I would make every week. I'm very glad I tried it and will keep working on it.