Zorba's Paella Recipe

First, make the Saffron, Clam and Chicken Broth

• 1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined, shells reserved

• 2 teaspoons olive oil

• 1 big pinch of saffron

• 1 cup Clam Juice

• 1 cup Chicken Broth

Next, the Paella Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 kinds of sausage: I use about 4 oz. Andouille & 4 oz. Polish – I buy a

  package of each and use

• 1 yellow onion, diced

• ½ bulb garlic, minced

• 1 ⅓ cups Arborio rice – This is very important. It has to be rice used

  in Paella or Risotto

• 1 red bell pepper, and 1 green pepper cut large dice

• Several Tomatoes quartered

• 1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning

• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste

Directions

1. Cook and stir reserved shrimp shells and 2 teaspoons olive oil in a

saucepan over medium heat until shells are pink and fragrant, 1 to 2

minutes. Stir saffron into shells; add chicken broth and clam juice, bring

to a simmer, and cook until broth is a rusty brown and fragrant, about 20

minutes.

2. Measure out 2 cups of broth, pour into a small saucepan, and place

over low heat to keep broth hot. If you’re a bit short of 2 cups add more

chicken broth.

3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium

heat. Cook chorizo slices in hot oil until browned, about 2 minutes per

side. Add onion and pepper to sausage; cook and stir until the onion is

soft and slightly translucent, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-

low.

5. Stir garlic into mixture; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add

rice to skillet and stir to coat rice completely in oil.

6. Pat rice mixture evenly into the bottom of the skillet. Arrange shrimp in a

single layer over the top of the rice. Place the tomatoes around the

shrimp; season with salt, Old Bay, and cayenne pepper.

7. Increase heat to high. When rice begins to sizzle in the skillet, pour

reserved 2 cups hot saffron broth over the shrimp; gently shake the

skillet to distribute liquid.

8. Bake rice mixture in the preheated oven until rice is almost tender and

still a bit wet, about 20 minutes.

9. Place skillet over medium-high and cook until rice is tender, liquid is

absorbed, and rice caramelizes and crusts slightly on the bottom of the

skillet about 3 minutes. If you’re worried that you’ll burn the rice you can

eliminate this step. Part of a good Paella is some caramelized rice at

the bottom of the pan.