Hola Paella, Me Llamo Christina

About a year ago, while working in downtown DC, I was walking around at lunch time and saw something quite interesting. You see, there was a restaurant around the corner called Taberna Del Alabardero. It was a Spanish restaurant and I had always wanted to go there. Sadly, as I had a 30 minute lunch and that's not really conducive to going to a sit down restaurant, I had to walk by on a daily basis, smelling the deliciousness that poured forth from the doors. 

One day, as I was walking by, I noticed some employees outside holding up a very large skillet. I knew right away that it was for paella - mmm...paella... But really, when I say 'very large skillet' I mean I could lie down inside that skillet and fry up like a piece of bacon. Seriously. Ok, I know that I'm only 4'6", but come on. That's a darn big pan. 

Now, my skillet is no where near the size of that skillet, but it can make paella, too.  

My paella has to be a bit different though, and I'm sure it's no where near authentic. First of all, Sumo is anti-seafood. There is probably some traumatic childhood experience in there somewhere, but I don't know where. No fish, no crab, no shrimp. No nothing. And secondly, I'm not spending $18 for a tiny bottle of saffron, so I'm sure my paella can be classified as a fraud. 

But I don't care. It's still delicious. 

Anyway, it's the first time I've made it in this pan, and I'm so glad I made enough for leftovers. Now I have lunch!

Here's my recipe:

Chicken & Chorizo Paella

1/2 lb Chorizo; sliced into bites

1-2 Chicken Breasts; cubed

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 Onion; sliced

1 (5 oz) pkg Yellow Rice

1 can Stewed Tomatoes

2 cups of Chicken Stock

1 cup Frozen Peas; thawed

1/4 tsp Pepper

1. Preheat skillet to Medium/High. Add the chorizo and brown for 3-4 minutes. Remove chorizo to plate and drain fat from pan. 

2. Add oil, chicken, and onions. Cook until chicken begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove to plate with chorizo. 

3. Add the rice, tomatoes and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes. 

4. Add chicken, chorizo, and onions back in along with peas and pepper. Cook another 10-15 minutes, or until rice is done and no real liquid remains. 

Now for the tips: If I remember anything from my high school trips to Spain, it's that the rice on the bottom of the skillet, the kind that kinda sticks and gets a bit crunchy, is highly desired; however, while cooking with an iron skillet, you don't really want stuff sticking to the bottom. You'll have to scrub the skillet to get the crunchy rice off, and by scrubbing the skillet, you'll remove some of the seasoning on the skillet - the same seasoning that you worked so hard to achieve. So, when the moisture gets low, just stir often. 

You could use any type of sausage in place of the chorizo. I just like the chorizo because it tastes so good with it's slight spice. If you feel so inclined, or just already have it in stock, go ahead and use your hot italian sausage. It will all cook up the same. 

I calculated the calorie count for the way I made the dish to be around 1425. I split it into 4 portions, each around 356 calories. This gave a good amount - not too little, not too much. 

My last tip is to keep this recipe close. You'll definitely want to make it again, and soon.