Food on Friday: Anniversary paella

This Saturday marks 6 years of happy marriage for the mister and me. We wed in a little chapel, then danced the night away at the Maritime Museum in San Francisco (where we were living at the time). We had a fabulous evening. We loved our deejay (my brother), the atmosphere of the museum on the water, and the guests, who knew how to have a good time. One decision we were especially happy with was the food. We went with a Spanish theme and decided to serve paella family-style. It was delicious, fun, and intimate – just the way we wanted our wedding to be.

I’ve always had a soft spot for paella, probably because we ate a lot of it when I was growing up. My dad had spent some formative time in Spain and he was constantly trying to recreate his favorite dish. I think for him and a lot of people it’s the ultimate comfort food.

Nowadays, I usually just make paella for a crowd. Serve it with some grilled bread and sangria and you’re good to go. This version, from allrecipes.com, serves 8.

(Recipe’s after the jump)

Paella

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
salt and black pepper to taste
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups uncooked short-grain white rice
1 pinch saffron threads 1 bay leaf
1/2 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 quart chicken stock
2 lemons, zested
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 Spanish onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 pound chorizo sausage, casings removed and crumbled
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons olive oil, paprika, oregano, and salt and pepper. Stir in chicken pieces to coat. Cover, and refrigerate.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or paella pan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes, and rice. Cook, stirring, to coat rice with oil, about 3 minutes. Stir in saffron threads, bay leaf, parsley, chicken stock, and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Stir in marinated chicken and onion; cook 5 minutes. Stir in bell pepper and sausage; cook 5 minutes. Stir in shrimp; cook,
turning the shrimp, until both sides are pink.
4. Spread rice mixture onto a serving tray. Top with meat and seafood mixture