The Saffron Savories: The Seafood Paella with a Pinch of Saffron

SAFFRON SEAFOOD PAELLA

Properly cooked seafood is always a delight, and when it is Seafood Paella with saffron, there is nothing more to ask for. Just like any other dish, the paella needs a little gathering up before starting over. We are here to increase both the levels of health and taste of the traditional dish with the rice, veggies and seafood cooked altogether in a pan. This classic Spanish dish never gets old or boring.

Now without doing any more delays, here goes the mouthful and mouthwatering recipe of the saffron-glint delicious dish. This can be a great alternative to the Fourth of July lunch instead of traditional barbeques.

Step One: Place the Paella

Paella is actually a special kind of cooking pan on which this dish is cooked, so, the first thing to gather would Paella indeed. A 15” one will do just fine. If that key cooking equipment is there to hold all that flavors, we are free to move on for the ingredients now!

Step Two: The Ingredients

The Promising Proteins:

• 16-20 large shrimps, peeled, deveined and with the tails left
• 16 mussels, Manila or combination clams, scoured
• 1 pound chicken, skinless and boneless, 1-inch cuts
• 8 ounces of Spanish chorizo (dried, smoked pork sausage), if not found, can be replaced by andouille sausage, ¼-inch cuts, round pieces
• 4 cups of thick chicken broth, with little or no salt

The Herbs and Spices:

• 4-5 Spanish saffron threads, a pinch will do
• 1 teaspoon pimentón dulce (smoked Spanish paprika)
• Black pepper to taste, freshly grounded
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, separate amount to taste needed for seasoning the chicken and shrimp
• 2 tablespoons of Italian parsley leaves, freshly picked, coarsely chopped

Veggies and Flavor Favorers:

• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 2 medium cloves of garlic, fine chops
• 1 medium yellow onion, mini dices
• 2 medium lemons, for garnish before serving, in wedge-like pieces

The Rest, the Best:

• 2 cups of Spanish Paella rice, might be labeled as Valencia or Bomba

• 1-2 tablespoon(s) of olive oil, as per requirement

Step Three: The Procedure

1. Cut the tomatoes into halves and get the core out. Now take a bowl and grate the flesh until you reach the skin. At the end of this process, about 3 cups of tomato juice and pulp should be gathered for later use.
2. To season the shrimp, add the kosher salt, black pepper and ¼ teaspoon of Spanish paprika and toss them well in a medium bowl. Refrigerate when done.
3. To season the chicken, add some kosher salt and black pepper on it and toss well. Save it for later in a medium bowl as well.
4. Since this recipe is about the grilled paella, now it is time to heat the outdoor grill at about 450°-550°F, place the paella pan on it, keep it covered until it is heated. Place the chorizo pieces to the pan, close the grill to cook it until the fat gets out and the sausage turns brownish. Take out the chorizos when done and place them separately. All these will take about 2-3 minutes.
5. The fat from the chorizos should be there in the pan. The next task is to add some olive oil to it. Place the chicken pieces all over the pan in a single layer; close the grill to cook it through, stir time to time. Flip the pieces if needed, keep them on the pan until they turn golden brown. Take them out of the pan and store with the chorizos.
6. Add the onion dices to the pan next with the kosher salt and grounded black peppers close the grill and cook until the onions go soft, stir time to time. Do not burn the onions and make sure they do not turn brown. Add the chopped garlic cloves, the rest of the paprika, the saffron threads, stir and cook until the aroma comes out, for about half a minute.
7. Now it is time to add the tomato pulp to the pan. This will deepen the color of the dish. Cook for about 3 minutes until the bottom gets browned.
8. Add the paella rice and salt and mix them well. Pour the chicken broth onto the rice mixture.
9. Make an even layer of the rice mixture on the pan; place the chicken and chorizo on the mixture. Do not stir the mixture.
10. Next is to close the grill to let the mixture boil to have the rice properly cooked. When the broth is soaked by the rice grains, they will go bigger and will start make a crackling sound eventually. Make sure not to burn it out. This process is supposed to take about 10-12 minutes.
11. Now is the time to place the shellfish and the shrimps on top of the rice mixture. The shellfish has to be down to the pivoted side. Close the grill to cook it up until the shrimps cook through and the shells are opened. In the meantime, the rice should be even softer, but make sure it is not melted. This will take about 10-12 minutes as well.
12. Remove the pan from the grill, take a foil wrap and cover it up. Let it be like that for at least 5 minutes to seal in the flavors.
13. The beautiful paella is ready. Now sprinkle the chopped parsley all over it and place the lemon pieces to serve. Make sure to remove any shellfish which remained closed. A burst of rich color and aroma should come out of the vibrant dish.

Nutrition Facts: (approximately per serving)

• Protein: 32 grams
• Carbohydrate: 75 grams
• Fat: 12 grams
• Kilo Calories: 518
• Saturated Fat: 0.4 grams
• Fiber: 5 grams
• Sugar: 5 grams
• Salt: 1.29 grams