Chicken Paella

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Paella significantly influenced Louisiana cooking. Not only was the dish the forefather of jambalaya, but it was also a hearty meal that kept many Cajun and Creole families alive during hard times.

Prep Time: 1½ Hours

Yields: 6 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 (3-pound) fryer chicken, cut into serving pieces
• 24 (21–25 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 tbsp saffron threads
• 4 cups chicken stock, divided
• salt and cracked black pepper to taste
• granulated garlic to taste
• Louisiana hot sauce to taste
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 pound chorizo or pork sausage, cut into (2-inch) links
• ½ cup diced onions
• ½ cup diced celery
• ½ cup diced red bell peppers
• ¼ cup minced garlic
• ½ cup sliced green onions
• ½ cup sliced mushrooms
• ½ cup diced ham
• 1 cup sweet peas
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 3 cups long grain rice
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried basil

Method:

Place saffron in a small glass bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Add ½ cup boiling stock to saffron and set aside to bloom. Season chicken pieces with salt, pepper, granulated garlic and hot sauce. In a 4-quart Dutch oven or 15-inch paella pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté chicken, a few pieces at a time, until browned on all sides. Remove and keep warm. In same oil, cook chorizo until medium well. Remove and set aside with chicken.

In the same oil, sauté onions, celery, bell peppers, minced garlic, green onions, mushrooms, ham, peas and tomatoes 3–5 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Add rice and stir-fry into vegetables 3 minutes. Stir in remaining chicken stock, saffron with liquid, thyme and basil. Season with salt, pepper, granulated garlic and hot sauce. Bring to a low boil and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Blend in cooked chicken, chorizo and shrimp, then cover pan tightly with aluminum foil. Place over low heat or bake at 350°F for 30–45 minutes.

Serve immediately.

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