Valencian paella is believed to be the original recipe and consists of white rice (which must be round grain), green beans (bajoqueta and tavella), meat (chicken and rabbit, sometimes duck), garrofó (a variety of lima beans or butterbeans), sometimes snails, and seasoning such as saffron and rosemary.
Health Benefits
Shrimps are a rich source of protein. Apart from that, shrimps also contain a huge amount of selenium. Rich in antioxidants, shrimps promote heart health as well.
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
3/4 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
1/2 cup thinly sliced Spanish chorizo sausage (about 2 ounces)
2 (2-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken thighs, quartered
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1 tbsp capers, drained
1/4 tsp saffron threads, crushed
1 cup arborio rice or other short-grain rice
2/3 cup white wine
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1/4 cup water
18 mussels (about 3/4 pound), scrubbed and debearded
2 1/2 tbsp chopped bottled roasted red bell pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
How To Make Valencian Paella
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Add shrimp to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until shrimp are done. Place shrimp in a medium bowl. Add chorizo to pan, and cook for 1 minute or until browned. Add chorizo to bowl.
- Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.
- Add chicken to pan, and cook for 2 minutes on each side or until browned.
- Add onion and garlic to pan; cook 2 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the tomato, capers, and saffron; cook 1 minute. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, rice, wine, and broth to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until rice is tender.
- Add shrimp mixture, peas, 1/4 cup water, and mussels to pan.
- Cover and cook 8 minutes over medium heat or until mussels open; discard any unopened shells. Remove from heat, and stir in bell pepper and cilantro. Let stand 3 minutes.
Trivia
The Spanish rice dish ‘Paella’ takes its name from the pan it is cooked in, which in turn comes from the Latin word for ‘pan’ or ‘dish.’