Easy Paella with Chorizo and Chicken or Shrimp

I have a feeling you’re looking at the title of this post with some skepticism. Easy paella? Isn’t that an oxymoron? We all know paella as a complicated dish so time-intensive that many Spanish restaurants ask you to call your order in ahead of time.

Well, thanks to Mark Bittman’s wonderful cookbook The Best Recipes in the World, I know better. Paella, he assures us, started as a simple work-night supper, and remains so in many parts of Spain. You can complete a scrumptious paella in 40 minutes – and you can spend 20 of that reading a book, or prepping a side salad and setting the table. In fact, paella isn’t much more trouble than its sister dish, pilaf – and unlike pilaf, which is usually a side, paella is a spectacular one-bowl main dish that will impress anyone you feed it to. You can serve it with a salad or bread if you like, but it’s not necessary. Everything you need is here.

Of course, the road to glory is not always a smooth one, and my first attempt at Bittman’s recipe left something to be desired. Paella is all about the rice: The grains should be firm yet moist, delicately clinging together without clumpiness, each one cooked through without a hint of chalkiness but still distinctly firm to the bite. Ideally, some of the bottom grains should be deliciously browned and a little crisp. And, of course, it should be delicious.

The first time I cooked paella, I made a terrible mistake – I failed to follow my instincts. Every recipe I’ve ever seen for the dish cooked it in the oven, uncovered. Generations of Spanish cooks can’t be wrong… right? So I put the pan in the oven without a lid, despite misgivings. And when I took it out, sure enough, the top grains were dry and not cooked through.

I scraped the top off that paella, and we ate the rest, and it was fine. But even what was left in the pan wasn’t perfect. I knew it could be better, that it would have been better if I’d just trusted myself. So after a little time to get over the sting of failure, I tried again. This time I covered the pan when I put it in the oven, then removed the lid after 15 minutes (which also happens to be the time when you want to add delicate ingredients like fish). After the final 10 minutes in the oven, this rice was perfect. The 15 minutes of covered cooking time allowed it to cook through, and the uncovered time let it dry out to produce perfect, moist, separate grains.

Another traditional idea about paella is that it’s expensive to make. Certainly it can be. A two-pound bag of Spanish Bomba paella rice can set you back $16, plus shipping, from a specialty seller like La Tienda. And then if you add several kinds of seafood, and season it with saffron – the world’s most expensive spice, costing up to $30 a gram – things can get out of control.

Your paella doesn’t need these pricey ingredients, though. Any kind of short- or medium-grain rice will do; supermarkets often carry Valencia rice as well Californian brands aimed at the Japanese market, such as Calrose and Botan. Any of these will do nicely.

Saffron isn’t a necessity either. Its flavor is lovely but delicate, and its signature golden color is easily replicated with a little turmeric. Or you could just let the rice be mostly white, with just a hint of yellow from the chicken broth and olive oil. And readily available chicken easily swaps in for the variety of seafood often seen in restaurant paella.

The one thing I would recommend you really try to find is a delicious chorizo – the aged, salami-like Spanish chorizo, not the uncooked Mexican kind. It’s bright red from paprika, and comes spicy or mild. (Of course, I like it spicy.) Its flavor really sings here. And if you have a nice homemade chicken stock, this would be a good place to use it. But canned broth, or even reconstituted concentrate from a little packet, will be fine. You can even use vegetable broth and flavorful vegetables – say, artichoke hearts and fresh tomato wedges – for a delicate vegetarian version.

A final note: It’s hard to beat a breakfast of reheated paella topped with an over-easy egg.

Quick Paella with Chorizo and Chicken or Shrimp

Serves: 4 to 6 Time: 40 minutes Hands-on: 15 minutes (20 with chicken)

3 or 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cups short- or medium-grain rice

4 ounces Spanish-style chorizo, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon turmeric or a pinch of saffron

3.5 cups chicken stock, warmed

1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)

Salt (1/2 teaspoon or so) and pepper to taste

8 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh, or medium shelled shrimp

2 teaspoons olive oil, if using chicken

1 cup thawed frozen peas

Heat the oven to 500 degrees, or as close as it will go. Place a 10- or 12-inch skillet (with a lid, to use later) over medium heat and add olive oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent. Stir in the garlic, stir for 30 seconds, then add the rice and chorizo.

Saute the rice for a minute or two, stirring to coat with oil, until evenly glossy. Stir the saffron or turmeric into the broth, then pour into the rice. Add the tomato paste (if using) and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover with the lid, and place the pan in the lowest level of the oven. (If you have a pizza stone in there, all the better; it will help the bottom brown a little.)

If using chicken, cut into approximately 1.5-inch cubes. (Since chicken parts aren’t cubes, of course your pieces won’t be either. Don’t sweat it, just get in the general vicinity of size.) Salt and pepper it lightly, then saute in 2 teaspoons olive oil on high heat, just enough to brown the outside. The inside should still be quite pink. Set aside.

When the paella has been in the oven 15 minutes, carefully remove it. Take off the lid, avoiding the rising steam, and arrange the sauteed chicken pieces or raw shrimp on top. Return to the oven, uncovered. Bake 10 more minutes.

Remove the paella from the oven and spread the peas on top. Cover with the lid and let rest 5 or 10 minutes, over very low heat if you want to encourage some bottom crust. (This is a great time to finish prep on any side dishes, pour water, etc.) The finished product is so gorgeous that I like to take the whole pan to the table and serve family-style. Just be careful – the pan is hot!

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