When Paella Met Risotto

Paella and Risotto are rice dishes from two of my favorite European countries. Paella is a traditional Spanish staple and incorporates rice, saffron, vegetables, and varying combinations of meat and/ or seafood. Risotto is an Italian cooking technique which involves slow cooking Arborio rice in broth until it has reached a creamy consistency. A wide variety of ingredients can be mixed in to risotto. I'm sure I'm not the first to combine the flavors of Paella with the technique of Risotto, but it was definitely a successful endeavor.

Over an open flame, char a medium size red pepper until blackened on all sides. Place in a plastic bag while still hot. The steam will loosen the skin from the pepper and make it easy to peel. After about half and hour, you can remove the pepper and peel off the skin. Once peeled, cut in half, remove seeds and stem, and thinly slice. This was my first attempt at a "roasted" red pepper, and it worked out pretty well. You can always cheat and buy jarred roasted red pepper. I won' tell anyone ;)

While the pepper is sweating, chop up 1 medium Spanish onion and a couple generous cloves of garlic. Also, put a hefty pinch of saffron threads in a glass or bowl and cover with about 1/2 cup of chicken broth or stock.

In a stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat, cook 1/2 lb. raw, peeled and deveined shrimp (tails on or off is fine) in olive oil just until pink. Flavor with a little salt, pepper, paprika, and red pepper (either flakes or powder, aka cayenne). Remove the shrimp from heat and set aside. Add about 1/2 pound chorizo sausage until browned. I use link sausage cut into small rounds. Set aside with shrimp.

Into the same pot, add the onion and garlic. Cook until translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add one cup Arborio rice and cook for a minute or two. Add 1/2 cup white wine and stir gently. This will deglaze the pan and bring up all the brown bits and spices from cooking the prior ingredients. Once the rice has soaked up the liquid, add the broth/ saffron mixture you have set aside. Again, stir gently until the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding about 1/2 cup chicken broth/ stock at a time, stirring frequently, until the rice has soaked up the liquid. You'll probably use about 4 cups total liquid. You want the rice to be al dente, which literally means "to the tooth" in Italian and should be just slightly firm to taste (not mushy).

Before adding your last bit of liquid, flavor as needed with salt and black pepper. I also add a couple dashes of tabasco and 1/2 teaspoon of cumin. Then, gently fold in the cooked shrimp, chorizo, and red pepper. Once the last of the liquid is absorbed, remove from heat and fold in a good handful of frozen peas. The peas add a nice brightness, sweetness, and crunch to the dish, but if you're not a fan feel free to omit this step.

This can stand alone as a meal in itself. You have protein and veggies in the risotto, so no need to have anything on this side. This pairs great with a Spanish white wine. Enjoy!