Dish of the Week: Rach-aroni Paella

This weeks dish, Rach-aroni Paella was from my Summer issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray.

Ingredients:
3 cups chicken broth
2 pinchs saffron threads
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup 1/2-inch pieces vermicelli pasta or spaghetti (a couple of generous handfuls)
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
1/2 cup long-grain rice white rice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground turmeric (1/3 palmful)
1 teaspoon sweet paprika (1/3 palmful)
1 pinch ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper
1/2 pound peeled, deveined medium shrimp
1/2 pound frozen peas
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 pound Spanish chorizo sausage, cut into cubes or sliced into half-moons
1 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
1/3 cup white wine or dry sherry

Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, keep the chicken broth and saffron warm over medium-low heat.

2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat 1 tablespoon EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, and the butter over medium heat. Add the vermicelli and toast until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the rice to coat, then add the thyme, turmeric, paprika and cinnamon; season with salt and pepper. Pour in the saffron broth and bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the shrimp, peas and parsley, cover and cook for 3 minutes. Uncover the pan, increase the heat to medium and cook until the rice is golden, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. In another skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook until the fat renders, about 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Pour in the wine, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Stir into the crispy rice.

The Verdict: This week I made three new dishes and this one was declared the winner by the Doc. This dish really has lots of flavor and very easy to prepare. There are a number of different spices used for this dish (a couple that are not everyday spices). If you don't have them on hand already, it can be an expensive dish to make. The saffron alone can break the bank! I personally love the flavors of spices like saffron and turmeric so I try to find dishes that will allow me to use them again, so for me it's money well spent.

Some changes I made was using cut up chicken breast, not thighs as I am not a fan of dark meat. I also used Jasmine rice because that is what I had in the house. This was very good. I will certainly make this one again. With Shaun being into everything these days, I can not have enough good 30 minute meal in my collection!