1poundchicken breasts or chicken tenders, cut in 2″ pieces
6cupschicken broth
12-16large or extra largeshrimp, in their shells
1poundpork loin, cut in 2″ pieces
¼poundSpanish chorizo*, cut into ¼″ slices (Spanish chorizo is as firm as salami, not the soft chorizo in the bacon section in the meat dept.)
1onion, finely chopped
1red or green bell pepper, finely chopped
1bay leaf
2mediumtomatoes, chopped
1 ½cupschopped mushrooms
¼poundcooked green beans
2teaspoonspaprika
3cupsArborio short grain rice
½cupfresh or frozen peas
16asparagus spears, cooked
*Spanish chorizo is available at some regular and and some specialty supermarkets. I actually found mine at Cost Plus World Market. You can also order it online.
Prevent your screen from going dark
Instructions
Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet and sauté the almonds and garlic until golden, careful not to burn.
Transfer the browned almonds and garlic to a mortar and pestle or mini food processor. Add the parsley, sherry, saffron, and ⅛ teaspoon of salt and mash or process the mixture to a paste.
Sprinkle chicken with salt.
Keep the broth warm in a large pot over the lowest heat, while you prepare the steps below.
Preheat oven to 400℉.
Heat 5 Tablespoons of the oil in a paella pan (or another pan of a similar size).
Sauté the shrimp in their shells over high heat and remove to a warm platter. Do not fully cook. They will continue to cook with the rest of the dish in the steps below.
In the same skillet, sauté the chicken over high heat, for 5 minutes, turning once, until brown but not fully cooked.
Transfer the chicken pieces to the platter with the shrimp. Add the pork and chorizo to the same pan. Cook 1-2 minutes.
Transfer to platter.
Add the remaining 2 Tablespoons of oil to the pan and reduce heat.
Add the onion, bell pepper, and bay leaf to the pan and sauté until the onion and pepper are softened.
Stir in the tomatoes, mushrooms and green beans and sauté 5 minutes longer.
Add the paprika and rice. Coat well with pan mixture.
Slowly pour the hot broth into the pan. Stir to incorporate and bring to a boil.
Add the almond/parsley mortar mixture. Season to taste with salt, and continue to boil gently for 3 minutes, stirring and turning the pan from time to time.
Add the reserved pork, chorizo, and peas and continue to gently boil for 2 minutes more, until the rice is no longer soupy, but enough liquid still remains in pan to continue cooking the rice.
Remove the bay leaf and discard. Arrange the chicken and shrimp over the rice.
Transfer the pan to the oven. Cook, uncovered for 10-12 minutes or until the rice is almost al dente.
Remove from oven and arrange the asparagus on top of the paella. Cover with foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes, until the rice is cooked.
Serve and enjoy this delicious Spanish dish!
Notes
*Spanish chorizo is available at some regular and and some specialty supermarkets. I actually found mine at Cost Plus World Market. You can also order it online.Recipe adapted from two recipes in Paella! Spectacular Rice Dishes from Spain, a cookbook by Penelope Casas.