Paella

Paella is a traditional Spanish dish renowned for its use of fresh vegetables, saffron rice, savory broth, and flavorful seafood. This dish is cooked in a large pan or skillet, making it perfect for sharing and bringing friends and family together around a comforting, complete meal.

The socarrat is the highlight of this recipe—it’s the saffron rice that forms a crispy, golden-brown, caramelized crust at the bottom of the paella pan. It’s a must-have when preparing this dish. To achieve the perfect crust, it’s important not to stir the paella during cooking, allowing the rice to stick to the pan and develop that distinctive, crunchy, and flavorful texture paella is known for.

Seafood, specifically mussels, is essential to our version of paella, bringing mild, sweet, and briny undertones. The mussels also absorb the rich flavors of the chicken broth, spices, aromatic vegetables, and tomato paste. Kielbasa adds a smoky depth to the dish when charred in the oven during baking.

Serve this paella for lunch or dinner in the company of friends and family for a flavorful and festive meal. ¡Delicioso!

Prep Time:  15 minutes |  Cook Time:  40 minutes |  Total Time:  55 minutes |  Number of Servings:  8

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons  Carlini  Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 small onions, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup green beans, cut in half
• 5 cups  Chef's Cupboard  Chicken Broth
• 14 ounces  Parkview  Polska Kielbasa, sliced
• 2 1/2 cups  Earthly Grains  Long Grain White Rice
• 1 teaspoon  Stonemill  Paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon  Stonemill  Chili Powder
• 16 ounces  Fremont Fish Market  Medium EZ Peel Raw Shrimp, thawed and peeled
• 1 package  Specially Selected  Natural Mussels  
• 3 tablespoons  Happy Harvest  Tomato Paste
• 1 teaspoon ground  Stonemill  Sea Salt Grinder
• 1 teaspoon ground  Stonemill  Peppercorn Grinder
• 1 cup  Season's Choice  Steamable Frozen Peas
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
• 2 fresh lemons, cut into wedges

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.  Sauté the onions, garlic, red bell pepper and green beans until soft and translucent.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium pot over high heat, bring the chicken broth to a boil.
4. Add kielbasa to vegetable mixture. Cook for 2 minutes to brown. Add rice to pan.
5. Add the paprika and chili powder to the rice mixture.  Stir until well combined.  Pour chicken broth over pan, lightly shaking pan to settle into even layer.
6. Place shrimp and mussels throughout pan, submerging in liquid. Bring to a boil. Stir in tomato paste, salt and pepper.
7. Boil for 5 minutes while stirring to incorporate. Cover and place in the oven.  Cook for 15 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven, stir in frozen peas to warm.  Let stand 10 minutes, covered, or until remaining liquid is absorbed. Stir until well combined.  Garnish with parsley and lemon.

Recipe Courtesy of Chef Michelle, ALDI Test Kitchen, edited by Chef Trevor