Some may scoff at the idea of a “shortcut” paella that tastes great, but this recipe really delivers amazing flavor in record time. A few key ingredients lend to the authentic flavor – saffron, smoked paprika, and Spanish chorizo – all add tremendous flavor…
What you'll need
Ingredients
6 ounces extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled, deveined, and tails removed
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 small onion, chopped
½ red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
¼ cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
¾ cup Valencia or Arborio rice
Salt and pepper
2 ¾ cups chicken broth
3 ounces Spanish dry-cured chorizo sausage, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
Pinch saffron threads (optional)
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
¼ cup frozen peas, thawed, optional
The method
Directions
01
Pat the shrimp dry with paper towel and season with salt and pepper and refrigerate until needed.
02
Season chicken thighs with salt and ground pepper, set aside until needed.
03
Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and red pepper and cook until lightly browned, 4 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.
04
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, Spanish chorizo, saffron, (if using); chicken; and ⅛ teaspoon salt.
05
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.)
06
Add shrimp to pan 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).
07
To develop crust (socarrat) on bottom of paella, continue to cook until crackling and popping sounds become more pronounced, while occasionally rotating skillet over the burner for even browning, 3 to 5 minutes. At this point, shrimp should be almost completely pink, and paella should look dry on top.
08
Discard bay leaf. Sprinkle with peas and parsley, cover, and let warm through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and s.erve with lemon wedges and drizzle with extra oil.
This vibrant, flavor-packed dish is perfect for easy entertaining or effortless weeknight dinners. Juicy, marinated chicken roasts atop a bed of colorful vegetables—artichokes, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and lemon slices—infused with briny capers and fresh…
This quick and easy meatball recipe from Cook’s Country utilizes a few shortcuts that make it an easy recipe for weeknight cooking. Their technique of simmering the meatballs in the tomato sauce in the ambient heat of the oven cooks them evenly without requ…
This is a quick and easy way to cook chicken cutlets. As with most coatings, it helps to have everything lined up in order, to make the assembly quick and easy. You can easily do a salad version by adding some arugula to the cherry tomatoes.
Fold in half along dotted line, blank sides facing in
Fold in half along dotted line, blank sides facing in
Cook Like James
Quick Skillet Paella for Two
Prep
Cook
Yield
Some may scoff at the idea of a “shortcut” paella that tastes great, but this recipe really delivers amazing flavor in record time. A few key ingredients lend to the authentic flavor – saffron, smoked paprika, and Spanish chorizo – all add tremendous flavor…
Ingredients
6 ounces extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled, deveined, and tails removed
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 small onion, chopped
½ red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
¼ cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
¾ cup Valencia or Arborio rice
Salt and pepper
2 ¾ cups chicken broth
3 ounces Spanish dry-cured chorizo sausage, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
Pinch saffron threads (optional)
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
¼ cup frozen peas, thawed, optional
Cook Like James · The method
Directions
1
Pat the shrimp dry with paper towel and season with salt and pepper and refrigerate until needed.
2
Season chicken thighs with salt and ground pepper, set aside until needed.
3
Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and red pepper and cook until lightly browned, 4 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.
4
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, Spanish chorizo, saffron, (if using); chicken; and ⅛ teaspoon salt.
5
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.)
6
Add shrimp to pan 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).
7
To develop crust (socarrat) on bottom of paella, continue to cook until crackling and popping sounds become more pronounced, while occasionally rotating skillet over the burner for even browning, 3 to 5 minutes. At this point, shrimp should be almost completely pink, and paella should look dry on top.
8
Discard bay leaf. Sprinkle with peas and parsley, cover, and let warm through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and s.erve with lemon wedges and drizzle with extra oil.
Cook Like James
Quick Skillet Paella for Two
Prep
Cook
Yield
Some may scoff at the idea of a “shortcut” paella that tastes great, but this recipe really delivers amazing flavor in record time. A few key ingredients lend to the authentic flavor – saffron, smoked paprika, and Spanish chorizo – all add tremendous flavor…
Ingredients
6 ounces extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled, deveined, and tails removed
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 small onion, chopped
½ red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
¼ cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
¾ cup Valencia or Arborio rice
Salt and pepper
2 ¾ cups chicken broth
3 ounces Spanish dry-cured chorizo sausage, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
Pinch saffron threads (optional)
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
¼ cup frozen peas, thawed, optional
Directions
1
Pat the shrimp dry with paper towel and season with salt and pepper and refrigerate until needed.
2
Season chicken thighs with salt and ground pepper, set aside until needed.
3
Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and red pepper and cook until lightly browned, 4 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.
4
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, Spanish chorizo, saffron, (if using); chicken; and ⅛ teaspoon salt.
5
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.)
6
Add shrimp to pan 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).
7
To develop crust (socarrat) on bottom of paella, continue to cook until crackling and popping sounds become more pronounced, while occasionally rotating skillet over the burner for even browning, 3 to 5 minutes. At this point, shrimp should be almost completely pink, and paella should look dry on top.
8
Discard bay leaf. Sprinkle with peas and parsley, cover, and let warm through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and s.erve with lemon wedges and drizzle with extra oil.
