My world Tour Part 2: Seafood Paella

Click Here if you missed Part 1 of my Culinary World Tour.

I was born and raised in Morocco and one of my vivid and happiest childhood memories was when we traveled to the North of Morocco for vacation.

Northern Morocco is highly influenced by the spanish given the proximity to Spain and the decades of Spanish protectorate. So one of the most memorable moments was when we passed by a city called "Laraish" to devour the succulent heavenly seafood paella. So for my part 2, I am travelling down my childhood memory lane and recreating the paella.

 



There are three types of Paella; the traditional Valencian paella, Seafood Paella, and mixed paella. Traditionally, the Paella is cooked in a Paella Pan but you can use any pan or skillet (like I did) to make it.

Just with pretty much every recipe, I can't help it but tweak it to make it my own :) . The traditional paella recipe from Spain uses Arborio rice. I decided to twist the recipe a bit and use my favorite aromatic rice " Basmati Rice". I also couldn't find safran at the local stores so I substituted the turmeric for the safran. The result was a meal to die for.

Seafood Paella

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Ingredients

• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed


• 1 TBSP of Vinegar or Lemon Juice + 2 TBSP of Lemon Juice


• 1 tablespoon paprika


• salt and black pepper to taste


• 2 tablespoons olive oil


• 2 bay leaves


• 2 Cups of Basmati or Arborio Rice


• 4 cups of chicken stock


• 1 Spanish or white onion, chopped


• 1 tsp of Turmeric or 1/4 tsp of saffron threads


• 1 red bell pepper, chopped


• 1 tomato, chopped in small cubes


• 1 pound of mixed seafood (scallops, mussels, medium sized peeled and deveined shrimp)


• 1/4 pound of Jumbo shrimp


• 1 TBSP of chopped Parsley

Instructions

1. In a bowl, mix together the paprika, 1 TBSP of lemon juice or vinegar and salt and pepper. Add chicken pieces to coat and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.


2. In a large skillet or a paella pan, Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat then add the marinated chicken. Once chicken is cooked, add the chopped garlic, onions, and red peppers. Cook for about 3 minutes then add the rice. Mix well until the rice is coated with oil then add the seafood except for the Jumbo shrimp. Stir in salt and pepper, Saffron threads (or turmeric), bay leaf, tomatoes, chicken stock, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer 20 minutes.


3. Once the rice is almost cooked (about 10 minutes), add the jumbo shrimp and parsley. Cover for about 5 more minutes or until the shrimp is cooked through (it curls up and turns pink).


4. Serve.

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