Photo: Paella Italiana Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 2 pounds total
- Finely ground sea salt, preferably gray salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 ounces spicy dried Italian sausage, cut crosswise into 1/8-inch slices (quartered if large)
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
- 3 1/2 teaspoons Spanish paprika, divided
- 2 tablespoons whole fresh oregano leaves
- 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
- 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
- 3 cups arborio rice
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 small can (12 ounces) peeled crushed tomatoes (or 1 pound fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded or quartered)
- 1 teaspoon saffron
- Pepperoncini, for serving
Directions
Remove the tenderloins (small muscle on the underside) from the chicken breasts. Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Cut all the chicken into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Heat the oil in a large ovenproof pot over high heat. When the oil is almost smoking, add the chicken. Cook until well browned on 2 sides, turning once, 6 to 7 minutes total. Add the sausage to the pan. Cook for 10 seconds.
Season the shrimp with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the shrimp to the pan, stir once then cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika and the oregano. Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet to cool.
Return the pan to high heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Pour the juices from the baking sheet into the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the vegetables are soft, but not brown, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Raise the heat to high. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and remaining 2 teaspoons paprika. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice. Stir to evenly coat the grains with oil. Cook for 1 minute. Add the stock and bring it up to a simmer. Add the tomatoes and stir to incorporate. Sprinkle in the saffron. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Cook until the liquid comes back to a simmer. Cover and put the pan in the oven. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. Return the chicken, sausage, and shrimp to the pan. Cover the pan again and put it back in the oven to cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until everything is warm.
Serve the paella warm with a bowl of pepperoncini on the side. Invite guest to add a couple pepperoncini to the servings and drizzle some of their vinegar on the paella.
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By espingarcito
on April 18, 2012
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When I read the name of this recipe I was very ungry, but when I cooked I was more. Sorry Michael Italian Paella is not Paella. Paella is a tipical food from the east coast of Spain. Paella of course do not have chorizo or sausage. rice vegetables,sea food, chicken and rabit are some of the originial paella ingredients. Maybe you think that if you write italian like "last name! of Paella sounds healthy, better and cool, but you forget that actually Spaniard nor Spanish food and chef are the best in the world. Please, if you want to put a name to this food you can call it Italian Rice or something like that, only out of respect for a traditional meal of more than 500 years of history
By sillyjobug
Providence, RI
on May 19, 2011
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Starnightblahblahblah... you're an idiot. It's called "Paella Italiana" to indicate that it's NOT Spanish paella, but a take on the same idea using Italian ingredients. Get over yourself, seriously. If anything, it's a compliment to Spanish cuisine that someone would want to try it in new ways. So get off your high horse and try some new dishes; you might enjoy it! I deffo recommend whole wheat for you though... seems like you need the fiber.
Yum yum yum... Using sweet sausage and leaving out the pepperoncini definitely affected the flavor. Hot Italian sauasge is the way to go, definitely! So much better. This dish is fabulous with it, although I also recommend using some hot Hungarian paprika (either instead of or in addition to the Spanish variety if you like heat. Yummy!
By Yum, Yum, Yum
East coast
on May 31, 2010
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Very tasty, but I thought it needed just a dash of hot sauce. However, I used sweet Italian sausage instead of spicy, so maybe that was the difference. I did not use the pepperocini because I didnt have any on hand. All in all, I will definitely make again.
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