International Recipes
Florida Citrus Paella
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, minced
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup tomato, seeded and chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
- 1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
- 4 links Spanish chorizo, cut into slices
- 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup Florida grapefruit juice
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron
- 3 cups long-grain rice
- 1 pound mussels, scrubbed well, beards removed, rinsed
- 1 pound raw large shrimp, peeled, deveined
- 1 cup fresh or frozen peas, thawed if frozen
- Minced fresh cilantro, optional for garnish
- Florida grapefruit wedges, optional for garnish
Instructions
- In skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil; add onion and bell pepper and cook for 2 minutes or until softened.
- Add tomato, garlic, thyme, basil, cumin and bay leaf; cook for 5 minutes, or until almost all the liquid has evaporated; set aside.
- In large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over moderately high heat until hot; add chicken breast strips and sear for 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly browned.
- Transfer chicken to a plate; reserve. Add chorizo to skillet; cook while stirring, until browned lightly on all sides; remove chorizo with a slotted spoon to the plate with chicken strips.
- Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In saucepan, bring chicken broth, grapefruit juice and saffron to a simmer.
- Place rice in 14 inch paella pan or a large, deep, ovenproof skillet; arrange chicken, chorizo and onion mixture on top.
- Arrange mussels and shrimp on top; add simmering broth mixture.
- Bake paella for 30 minutes. (Do not stir paella during cooking. If mixture becomes dry, add more chicken broth.)
- Add peas and bake paella for 10 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the mussels have opened.
- Let the paella stand, covered with a dish towel, for 5 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with the cilantro and grapefruit wedges, if desired.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Recipe and photo used with permission from:
Florida Department of Agriculture
Recipe and photo used with permission from:
Florida Department of Agriculture