Spanish Paella

Nothing serves to remind me how dearly I value my husBen as much as his absence (yes, just a personal confession that I understand the maxim “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”) Since starting his real job a few weeks ago, he often has to go back up to the office after he comes home for dinner, and he stays there until after I go to sleep. I am proud of him for working so hard even if this hard work inadvertently lends itself to less time with me... I can only hope this “earning your stripes” slows down once the stripes are earned. With the careers we signed up for, however, our hearts may be “growing fonder” until we are into our 70s.

Since I am newly soooo in love again, I made paella for husBen last week (for 3 reasons):

#1 I have time this month (and this takes a long time)

#2 I have a fabulous copper skillet I have been dying to use

#3 We once fell madly in love over paella

Let me explain. Ben and I spent a study abroad in Spain following our sophomore year in college. We signed up for the trip together after only a few short months of dating, at a point when I still hardly took the blossoming relationship that seriously because I still viewed myself to be something of a Miss Independent (I had my roommates for the coming of age conversations, my church for the spiritual guidance, and my big brother for protection). Then I had this cute red-head in hot pursuit of me who just thought I was the bee’s knees (I don’t know what he saw, but I am sure glad he saw it). So said red-head and I go off to Spain because that’s what adventuresome young college kids do, right?

In that foreign country, I realized for the first time that husBen could take care of me. I realized that he could protect me and advise me. He could encourage me and struggle with me in matters of spirituality. He could talk future with me and we could divulge the parts of our past that mattered. He could enjoy good food with me and discern a good wine from a bad one. And he was just so darn handsome.

Maybe it was the buzz of the Rioja and the walks on the beach. Maybe it was the art and the cathedrals. Maybe it was the captivating language and the late night studying together. Or maybe it was the paella.

Whatever it is, I am still growing fonder.

Chicken, Shrimp, and Chorizo Paella

simmering in the copper skillet

ready to eat, my love!

40 threads saffron, crushed

4 chicken thighs

12-15 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

¼ cup olive oil

¾ cup chorizo, crumbled

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

3 good sized tomatoes, minced

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 onion, chopped

6 cups chicken broth

2 cups short grain rice, preferably Valencia

1 red pepper, sliced into 1 inch strips

salt and pepper to taste

Italian parsley, chopped, for garnish

Add saffron to ¼ cup hot water and allow to sit for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, season chicken and shrimp with salt and pepper. Heat up a wide skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear chicken on each side. Remove from skillet. Add shrimp and chorizo to skillet for about 5-10 minutes (shrimp may be done quicker, so make sure to pay attention here). Remove shrimp from skillet and return chicken to the skillet with the chorizo.

Add in paprika, garlic, tomatoes, and onion to pan and stir often until the onions soften, about 10-15 minutes. Add in saffron broth and chicken broth along with a dash of salt and bring to a rolling boil.

Sprinkle in the rice over the whole skillet along with the red peppers. Cook without stirring until the rice absorbs most of the liquid (may take about 20 minutes). My pan was much larger than my burner, so I had to be ever-present in order to turn the pan and distribute the heat evenly. If this is your case too, I hope you have someone interesting sitting in your kitchen with you while you stand over the hot stove, as this part actually took a good 40 minutes for me. Give the skillet a good stir in order to redistribute the remainder liquid, then reduce your heat to low. Add back in the shrimp and continue to simmer until the rice has absorbed all the liquid, about 5-10 minutes more. Turn up the heat at the last minute to high and cook for 1-2 minutes more to create a crust on the bottom of the dish (termed the “socarrat”, so good). Remove your dish from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with parsley, then serve it to someone you are falling in love with.