Quick Saffron and Seafood Rice with Chorizo

Quick Saffron and Seafood Rice with Chorizo

INGREDIENTS:
Makes 8 servings

• 3 cups basmati rice
• 6 cups hot chicken stock
• pinch of saffron threads or pinch of saffron powder
• (in my case, I used one small sachet of saffron powder equivalent to a pinch as well)
• 1/2 pound large shrimps
• 1/2 pound squid, cut into 1/2 inch rings
• 1/2 cup pitted green olives
• 1 foot long link of chorizo, medium dice
• 1 large white onion, small dice
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• juice of half a lemon (to marinade shrimps and squid rings)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (for frying chorizo as well as sauteing the onions and basmati rice)
• 2 tablespoons butter (for sauteing the garlic, shrimps and squid separately)
• salt and pepper to taste
• lemon wedges (to serve on the side)
• 1/2 cup parsley, coarsely chopped (to sprinkle on top)

DIRECTIONS:

- Marinate shrimps and squid in lemon juice, salt and fresh cracked black pepper for 5 minutes.
- Put the saffron threads or saffron powder in hot chicken stock, stir and set aside.
- Place a large skillet (preferably a skillet with a bit of height) over medium heat and add olive oil. Fry diced chorizo until a bit of the fat renders in the pan and mixes in with the olive oil tinting it with a gorgeous red-orange colour. Remove fried chorizo bits from the oil and set aside.
- Add onions into the tinted oil and saute until soft. Add basmati rice and saute for 5 minutes just barely toasting it. And then pour the saffron infused hot chicken stock.
- Wait about 2 minutes for the mixture to boil before reducing heat to low to simmer for 15-20 minutes or until rice is done (either preferred al dente or just perfectly tender but not mushy and overcooked).
- While the rice gently cooks, place a skillet over high heat, add butter and garlic. Saute garlic until fragrant and soft (but not browned) and add the marinated shrimps and squid along with the green olives. Saute for 3 minutes or until shrimp curls up and turns orange (do not over cook shrimps and squid or both will be tough and chewy… which will just ruin the dish). Set the sauteed seafood aside (still in the skillet).
- When rice is almost done, add the fried chorizo nuggets and sauteed shrimps and squid rings along with the bit of pan juices rendered. Toss the mixture with two forks.
- Top with chopped parsley.
- Serve with lemon wedges on the side.