Dutch Oven Paella

Ingredients

1 lb. large shrimp (21/25), peeled and deveined

salt and pepper

extra virgin olive oil

8-9 med garlic cloves, minced

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat, cut crosswise in half

8 oz. Spanish chorizo sausage, sliced 1/2 inch thick

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch wide strips

1 med. onion, chopped fine

1 (14 1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained, finely chopped, then drained again

2 c. Valencia or Arborio rice

3 c. low-sodium chicken broth

1/3 c. dry white wine

1/2 t. saffron threads, crumbled

1 bay leaf

3/4 c. frozen artichoke hearts, thawed

1/2 c. frozen peas, thawed

chopped fresh flat-leaf parsely

lemon wedges

Preparation

Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 350. In a med bowl, toss shrimp with 1 t. minced garlic, 1 T. olive oil, 1/4 t. salt & 1/4 t. pepper. Refrigerate until needed. Season chicken with salt & pepper, set aside.

Heat 2 t. oil in a large Dutch oven over med-high heat until oil shimmers, add bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until skins blister and brown about 3-4 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside. Add 1 T. more oil to the pot, add chicken thighs and brown well, flipping once, about 3 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a bowl, reduce heat to medium, add sausage and cook 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until browned and fat starts to render. Add to bowl with the browned chicken.

3. At medium heat, add enough oil to the pot to equal 2 T., add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 3 minutes, add remaining garlic, cook for 1 minute, add tomatoes, cook and stir until tomatoes thicken and darken slightly about 3 minutes. Add rice, cook and stir for about 2 minutes, making sure everything is evenly mixed. Add broth, wine, saffron, bay leaf and 1/2 t. salt. Add the browned chicken and sausage. Increase heat to med-high, bring to a boil, stirring often. Cover pot and place in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes (liquid should be mostly absorbed). Remove pot from the oven (keep oven door closed to retain heat), remove the lid, nestle the artichoke hearts down in the rice a bit. Sprinkle the shrimp over the top of the rice, then, sprinkle with the peas and bell pepper strips. Replace the led, add back to the oven for another 10 minutes or until the shrimp are opaque.

Turn stove burner to med-high heat. Remove the pot from the oven, place on the stove cook for 5 minutes to get the browned portion on the bottom of the rice (called Soccarat), rotating the pot 180 degrees halfway through to ensure even browning. Remove pot from heat and let the paella rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and lemon wedges.