Paella for 2

By lorik

Spanish varieties of rice, while traditional in paella, are sometimes difficult to find, which is why we offer the more widely available Arborio rice as a substitute. Each type of rice requires a slightly different amount of liquid, so note the difference in the recipe. Make sure to use cured Spanish chorizo, not the fresh Mexican sausage, here.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 3/4 cup Valencia or Arborio rice
• 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 2 1/2 —2 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 3 ounces Spanish dry-cured chorizo sausage, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• Pinch saffron threads (optional)
• 6 ounces extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled, deveined, and tails removed
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
• Lemon wedges

Details

Servings 2
Adapted from cookscountry.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in wine, tomato paste, garlic, paprika, and bay leaf and cook until liquid evaporates and mixture looks oily, 2 to 4 minutes.

2. Stir in rice and cook until grains are well coated with tomato mixture, about 1 minute. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Stir in broth (2 1/2 cups for Valencia rice, 2 3/4 cups for Arborio); chorizo; saffron, if using; chicken; and ⅛ teaspoon salt.

3. Bring to strong simmer and continue to cook, uncovered, over medium heat until liquid level falls just below surface of rice but paella still looks wet, 10 to 14 minutes. (After first 5 minutes of simmering, do not stir or paella will become starchy.)

4. Season shrimp with salt and pepper and nestle halfway into rice. Continue to cook until shrimp are mostly pink and all liquid has been absorbed, 4 to 7 minutes longer (paella will crackle and pop when liquid is absorbed).

5. To develop crust (socarrat) on bottom of paella, continue to cook until crackling and popping sounds become more pronounced, while occasionally rotating skillet over heat for even browning, 3 to 5 minutes. At this point, shrimp should be almost completely pink and paella should look dry on top.

6. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 3 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with lemon wedges and drizzle with extra oil.