Paella with Chicken, Chorizo and Shrimp

Traditionally, paella is made with white rice, but by switching to brown rice, you get great texture and a boost of nutrition. This Spanish-inspired one-pot meal has chicken, chorizo and shrimp, but the scene-stealer in this recipe is the saﬀron. Its tantalizing scent and warm ﬂavor lend a richness to the dish that makes it unforgettable.

Filed Under: Mediterranean Diet, Main dishes, Gluten-free, Rice

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Active time

45 minutes

Total time

1 hour 15 minutes

Yield

4 servings

Ingredients

1 teaspoon oregano

1 tablespoon paprika

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

¼ cup olive oil

½ lb. chorizo sausage, sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 large onion, diced

1 (16-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, drained (juice reserved)

¾ cup brown rice

1 teaspoon saﬀron threads

1 ½ cups warm water

4 jumbo shrimp, peeled, leaving tails on

½ cup sweet peas, frozen and thawed

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

Mix oregano, paprika, salt and pepper in a medium-sized glass bowl. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces and add to the bowl of seasonings. Stir to coat and let marinate for 15 minutes.
Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in the oil, turning to brown on all sides. Add the chorizo and continue to cook until the oil is a vibrant red color. Remove the chicken and chorizo with a slotted spoon to a cutting board to rest.
Return the pan to the stove and lower the heat to medium. Saute the garlic and onion until translucent, 3- 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes, breaking them up with a spoon. Cook until soft, seasoning with salt and pepper.
Fold in the rice, stirring to coat the grains. Stir the saﬀron into the rice. Pour in the water and reserved tomato juice, stirring gently just to be sure everything is blended. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes and give it a gentle stir once or twice during cooking.
Add shrimp, tucking them into the rice. Let simmer again, cooking until pink, about 10 minutes.
While the shrimp is cooking, shred reserved chicken with a fork. Add the shredded chicken and chorizo to pan, stirring again, gently. Cook until rice is tender, another 5 -10 minutes.
Scatter the peas on top and continue to cook for 5 more minutes, until the paella is ﬂuﬀy and moist.
Remove from heat, top with parsley and serve.

An Oldways recipe developed by Karen Mansur, of the Oldways Whole Grains Council. Fotolia photo.