Paella is undoubtedly the most famous dish of Spain. Traditional recipes seem to have a list of ingredients a mile long, and preparing a proper paella can be a time-consuming endeavor. Sherry, a paella aficionado and busy flight attendant, recently discovered that by using a readily available rice mix, fabulous paella can be made in less than an hour, with hands-on time under 20 minutes. No one will guess that Sherry’s Shortcut Paella is so fast and easy.

According to: Valencia Tourist Travel Guide Paella originated in Valencia. It was a poor man’s dish consisting of cheap regional ingredients and was cooked over an open fire; early versions contained duck, rabbit, chicken, and snails. Now each region in Spain has its own variation of paella. Paella served in areas close to the coast contain fresh seafood, especially shellfish; regions farther inland rely on sausages, chicken, rabbit, and duck.

Paella is named after the pan it is cooked in, la paella, which comes from the Latin word for pan. Although it’s convenient to have a good paella pan, Sherry’s Shortcut Paella can be successfully prepared in a deep skillet.

This version of Paella is a perfect blend of flavors and is delicious, however, the ingredients can be varied according to taste; feel free to substitute other types of seafood; rabbit and duck can be used instead of chicken, as well as other cured sausages for the chorizo. In fact, almost anything goes – even snails.

Sherri's Shortcut Paella

8 Servings


1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2" chunks
1/2 pound cured chorizo sausage, sliced on the diagonal

1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped

1 10 oz. package Saffron Rice Mix, (I use Mahatma Brand or Vigo)
3 cups water
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

1/2 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on or off
1 pound clams, with shells
1 cup frozen peas

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat.


2. Add the chicken breast pieces and stir-fry until brown on the outside, but still raw in the middle.


3. Remove the chicken from the skillet and add the sausage slices.


4. Turn the heat to medium high and sauté the sausage until browned.


5. Add the onion and garlic; sauté until the onion is limp, about 5 minutes,
   
6. Add the rice mix, water, and tomatoes.


7. Bring to a boil, uncovered, then turn down to a simmer and cook 20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.


8. Stir in the shrimp, clams, and chicken; cook an additional 5-10 minutes or until the clams open.


9. Stir in the peas and serve.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 405 Calories from Fat 101
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 25% Protein 36% Carb. 39%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 11 g
Saturated Fat 4 g
Cholesterol 131 mg
Sodium 1054 mg
Total Carbohydrate 39 g
Dietary Fiber 4 g
Sugars 1 g
Protein 37 g

Vitamin A 18% Vitamin C 54% Calcium 0% Iron 102%

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