PAELLA ala SAVORY KITCHEN TABLE

I found this fun recipe in an old Sunset magazine.  It looked like an ad page - so glad I took a closer look.  The recipe was geared for camping, but is a quick and easy fix at home. As always I made changes to deal with likes and dislikes.  The recipe originally called for green pepper which makes me deathly ill, so I substituted red pepper.  I also cannot stand olives so I substituted shallots, but pearl onions would be good too. I also did some research on the origins of paella and found that it is a very versatile dish.

In Valencia, Spain the word paella is used for ALL pans, but most other areas use it for a specific style of pan used to make this dish.  The only consistent ingredient I could find in any version of the recipe was the white rice, hence the beauty of this dish is making it your own.

PAELLA ala SAVORY KITCHEN TABLE
1 cup sliced shallots
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 pound Andouille (smoked pork) sausage, thinly sliced
1 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, quartered
1 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground sea salt
2 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
3 tablespoons avocado oil
1 fennel bulb with feathers, sliced saving feathers for garnish
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon saffron
1 can petite diced tomatoes with green chiles
2 cups Arborio (Italian short grain) rice
1 cup water
3/4 cup marsala wine
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 pound small shrimp, cleaned and de-veined

• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in large saute' pan over medium high heat.
• Add sausage and brown about 5 minutes.  Remove with slotted spoon to a plate and cover.
• Add chicken pieces and brown on all sides. Remove with slotted spoon to a plate and cover.
• Add shrimp pieces and brown on all sides. Remove with slotted spoon to a plate and cover.
• Add remaining oil to pan.
• Add fennel, shallots and bell pepper to pan sauteing until fennel softens.
• Stir in garlic, paprika, salt and saffron, stirring until fragrant and sizzling.
• Add tomatoes and cook, stirring 5 minutes to blend well.
• Add rice and coat well. Add water, chicken broth and Marsala. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes.
• Arrange sausage, chicken and shrimp on top of rice, cooking another 5 minutes covered to heat chicken and shrimp through.
• Garnish with fennel fronds and Enjoy.