Try With Me: Shrimp and Sausage Paella

Paella is another one of those dishes that I’ve always wanted to try but it’s difficult to find a Halal version. But, never fear, Try With Me is here! You all get to come along with me as I try making Paella for the first time…and spoiler alert: it tastes so good! With just a few key ingredients you can definitely make it at home too! This savory, hearty, aromatic Spanish rice pilaf mixed with succulent shrimp and sausages will have you coming back for seconds (and very likely thirds). I was able to get my recipe, with a few changes, from MyRecipes. They have a huge variety of recipes you should definitely check out! Let’s get started with the recipe, shall we?

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Ingredients:

Herb Blend:

• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced

Paella:

• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon Zaran Saffron Threads
• 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• salt, to taste
• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pounds boneless chicken breast or thigh
• 1 pound chicken sausage, cut into 1/2″ slices
• 2 cups finely diced white onion
• 1 cup canned diced tomato, undrained
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups uncooked Arborio Rice
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/4 cup lemon juice, drizzle on top

Directions:

Start off simple by warming up your water, broth, and saffron threads in a pot. If you are using a no sodium broth definitely salt it now. Start with one teaspoon and then try it to see if it’s to your liking. Bring it to a simmer, then put on low and cover to keep it warm as you cook. You don’t really want it to steam up too much or you’ll lose some liquid! Once that task has been done you can do yourself a (huge) favor and prepare all the other ingredients so they can quickly be added to the main pot for cooking. Peel and devein your shrimp, slice your sausages, chop up your onion, and in a small bowl mix together your herb blend. It will save you running around the kitchen when the next step is asking to be done (speaking from experience 😂).

Once the broth has been set aside on low, and all the main ingredients have been chopped, peeled, or mixed you can start cooking! In a paella pan or a large pot (I didn’t have a paella pan so I used this and it turned out great) heat up the olive oil on medium heat and start to sear up the meats. Beginning with adding in the chicken and cooking for 2 minutes per side (until golden brown) and then removing from the pan. It definitely won’t be cooked through but it will be cooked more later, so don’t worry. After the chicken is cooked add in the chicken sausages and cook for 2 minutes per side until golden brown and remove as well. And then finally, add in your shrimp and sear on both sides for 1-2 minutes! And now all your meat has been prepped!

In the same, now empty, pot add in the diced onions on medium-low heat and let them cook down slowly for 15 minutes until translucent and golden brown. Stirring occasionally to prevent sticking and/or burning. While the onion cooks down you can mix together the diced tomato, paprika, and minced garlic. Add the tomato mixture into the onions and cook for 5 minutes until thick. And now, the fun part! You get to add in the rice! Now, we’re almost at a Paella. Put the uncooked Arborio Rice in and really coat it in the tomato and onion mixture. Cook it for a minute or two and then you can add in the herb blend and quickly mix it in.

After adding the Herb Blend it’s time for the the warm broth mixture to make a reappearance. That’s right, it’s still here waiting to shine (and be absorbed by rice)! On a medium-high heat pour in the broth mixture and then place the seared chicken and sausages on top and frozen peas. The broth will start bubbling pretty quickly so give the mixture a stir every few minutes. Let it cook for 15 minutes, while stirring, before adding in the shrimp. Cook for an additional 5 minutes to full cook shrimp. Then turn off the heat and cover the paella with a towel and lid and let it stand for an additional 10 minutes to full cook rice. Drizzle with lemon juice when it’s done!

Note: if you think the rice grains (especially on top) seem undercooked add in 1/4-1/2 cup of water around the edges of pan and put it on the stove on a low heat. Cover the top of the rice with a damp paper towel and place the lid on top and let it warm slowly and build up steam to help fully cook rice. You can also fold the rice from bottom to top, this will help cook any remaining partially cooked rice on top.
Guess what?! You just made Paella! That wasn’t so bad, was it? My Paella turned out so delicious that I can’t wait to make it again! Traditionally Paella is served along side some crusty bread and a light salad. If you don’t have time to throw together a salad, guess what? It taste absolutely amazing on its own! So enjoy!

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