Paella

I've been wanting to make Paella for a long time (it was a dish on my chef-y bucket list), and I had some shrimp in the freezer that I wanted to use, so I figured it was a good time to try.  I saw this recipe in a Cooking for Two cookbook and followed it except I omitted the chicken thighs because I thought shrimp and chorizo would be plenty filling and it was one less thing I'd have to buy.   I actually doubled the recipe so that I'd use up the package of chorizo and now we'll have leftovers for tomorrow.  I liked it but it wasn't as "wow" as I'd hoped.  Still, it was good enough that I'd make it again.  It's a nice filling one-pot dinner.

Paella
from Cooking for Two 2009
Serves 2

Ingredients:
salt and pepper
8 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
4 oz chorizo, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4" pieces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded, and cut into 1/2" wide strips
1 shallot, minced (about 3 tablespoons)
pinch Saffron threads
3/4 cup Arborio or Valencia rice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1&1/4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
Pat shrimp dry with paper towels, season with salt and pepper, and refrigerate until needed.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.  Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.  Brown the chicken well on both sides, about 5 minutes, flipping it halfway through cooking.  Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.

Return the skillet to medium heat, add the chorizo, bell pepper, shallot, saffron, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook until the chorizo and pepper are well browned, about 4 minutes.  Stir in the rice and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the broth, scraping up any browned bits.  Return the chicken to the pan and bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the thighs register 170ºF and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Scatter the shrimp over the rice and continue to cook, covered, until the rice is tender and shrimp are cooked, about 5 minutes.  If soccarat (the crusty brown layer of rice on the bottom of the pan) is desired, leave the skillet uncovered over medium-high heat for another 5 minutes.

Off the heat, sprinkle the peas and parsley over the rice, cover, and let warm through, about 2 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with lemon wedges.