(adapted from Saveur)
Makes 4 servings
Note: The key to making paella is to have all the ingredients prepped before you start cooking.
¼ teaspoon saffron threads
2 tablespoons hot water
6 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 ounces dry-cured chorizo, cut into ¼-inch thick rounds
1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
2 small (or 1 large) cloves garlic, minced
2 small (or 1 large) bay leaves
2 tomatoes, cut into small dice
½ small onion, minced
3 ½ cups chicken broth
1 ¼ cups short-grain rice
4 ½ ounces canned artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
4 ounces frozen peas, thawed
1 ½ jarred roasted red peppers, cut into ½-inch thick strips
9 mussels, cleaned and debearded
Put saffron into a small bowl and add the hot water, then let sit for 15 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a 15-inch paella pan or large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and chorizo and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, about 3 – 5 minutes. Remove the shrimp to a plate and set aside. To the chorizo left in the pan, add the paprika, garlic, bay leaf, tomatoes, and onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved saffron mixture and broth, season with salt, and bring to a boil over high heat.
Sprinkle the rice into the pan and distribute evenly with a spoon, then add the artichokes, peas, and peppers. Cook, without stirring, until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid, about 10 – 12 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the reserved shrimp, and nestle in the mussels hinge side down. Cook, without stirring, until mussels have opened and rice has absorbed the liquid and is al dente, about 5 – 10 minutes longer. Remove the pan from the heat, cover with aluminum foil, and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
