Spring Paella
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients
1 ½ cup chicken broth
¼ teaspoon saffron threads
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ medium yellow onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
½ pound turkey chorizo
1 cup short-grain rice
¾ cup canned diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup peas
¼ pound asparagus
Parsley, for serving
Lemon, for serving
Instructions
- Bring the chicken broth to a simmer in a small both then remove from heat and add the saffron. Let sit until ready to use.
- Heat a 10” to 12” cast iron skillet then add the olive oil followed by the minced onion. Cook until the onion is fragrant and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for a minute more.
- Once the garlic is fragrant, stir in the turkey chorizo. Continue to cook until the chorizo is cooked through then add in the rice, saffron-infused broth, tomatoes, smoked paprika, and sea salt. Stir to combine everything, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and let cook until for 15 minutes.
- While the rice starts to cook, prepare the asparagus. Trim the ends then cut the asparagus in half horizontally and vertically, creating four pieces of asparagus per stalk.
- Once the liquid has started to be absorbed, layer the top of the paella with the asparagus and peas. Lightly press into the rice if necessary.
- Continue to cook the paella for another 10 to 15 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed, the rice is done, and the asparagus is cooked through. Serve with a sprinkle of parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Notes
For a more traditional paella, you can add mussels and shrimp to the dish as well.