Cast Iron Paella
Rating
This simplified version of the popular Spanish rice and seafood dish will leave you scraping your bowl clean.
Ingredients
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 pinch saffron thread
- ½ lb shrimp (225 g), peeled and deveined
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ cups chorizo (205 g), thinly sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 ½ cups arborio rice (300 g)
- 14 ½ oz diced tomato (410 g), 1 can, drained
- ½ lb mussels (225 g), scrubbed and debearded
- ½ cup frozen peas (75 g), thawed
- ½ lemon, juiced
- ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves (10 g), finely chopped
Instructions
- Add the chicken stock to a microwave-safe liquid measuring cup and microwave on high power for 3 minutes, until hot. Stir in the saffron threads and set aside.
- On a cutting board, pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and the pepper on both sides and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch (30 cm) cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the chorizo and cook, stirring, until browned in spots, 3 minutes. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and paprika and cook, stirring, until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the rice and stir until lightly toasted, 1 minute.
- Add the tomatoes and reserved chicken stock and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid. Cook without stirring until the rice is al dente, 15 minutes.
- Remove the lid and arrange the shrimp, mussels, and peas on top of the rice. Cover and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook until the shrimp are opaque and the mussels are open, 5 minutes. Discard any mussels that do not open.
- Remove the lid and pour the lemon juice over the paella. Sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon of salt and the parsley and serve.
- Enjoy!
