Flavorful Paella Made Easy!

Happy Wednesday all! I forgot to post yesterday - so sorry! So today I'm sharing what I meant to yesterday. Last night I made a really delicious and easy paella, a recipe from Jose Andres, one of my favorite chefs in the MD-DC area. This recipe was extremely fast and easy, which is unusual for a paella, and included only seafood. I bet you would also get great results adding smoky sausage or another type of seafood. OR, leave it as is because it's really great that way too. Enjoy!

Smoky Paella with Shrimp and Squid
Jose Andres

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup arborio or Valencia rice
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 small pinch of saffron, crumbled
• 2 cups clam broth
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 pound baby squid, bodies cut into 1/4-inch rings

Directions

1. In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and add to the skillet. Cook over high heat until lightly browned on one side, 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a plate.
2. Add the rice to the skillet and cook, stirring, until opaque, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, paprika, garlic and saffron and cook, stirring, until the rice is toasted and sizzling, about 1 minute. Add the clam broth and water and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until the rice is still a bit crunchy and about half of the broth is absorbed, 10 minutes. Lower the heat and simmer until the rice is nearly tender and the liquid is soupy but slightly reduced, about 8 minutes. Stir in the squid, then lay the shrimp on top, cooked side up. Cover and simmer until the squid and shrimp are cooked through and the rice is tender, about 2 minutes longer.