An excellent blend of two cultural dishes – Spanish Paella and Italian Risotto. When I originally wrote this recipe, I really thought it was utter madness. So, I sat on the recipe for a while before I was courageous enough to make this one pan meal. This is definitely one of my most complex dishes but it is so worth the time. In the end, there was no leftover.
One might argue that this dish is one but not the other – of course I would politely disagree. The rice was soft but yet packed a light crunch – typical of paella – and the saffron flavored the dish as in a perfect paella. The overall dish had the wetness of a risotto and the parmesan rounded out the creaminess risotto is known for.
This is an epic dish that I plan to make a classic meal in my kitchen – especially on a special dinner or small gathering. The rich flavor combination and the stunning texture will leave you wanting more. I hope you will take the time to make it and enjoy as much as we did.
Be sure to view the quick video tutorial of this recipe, like and subscribe to my YouTube Channel.
Your comments and feedback are welcome. Use the Reply section at the end of the blog post. Your feedback fuels my energy to create more delicious and easy to follow recipes that anyone can make. Want more recipes like this as well as other wholesome, healthy and mostly organic dishes, sign up for exclusive email updates. Follow Us on Social Media: Pinterest, Instagram,Twitter,Facebook
Saffron Seafood Paella Risotto
An intoxicating and incredibly delishYUM combination of flavors and texture that is like Risotto wetness and Paella crusty texture. The perflect blend of Italian and Spanish cuisine.
Ingredients
FOR THE SAFFRON BROTH
- 3 cups chicken broth organic
- 1 teaspoon saffron
FOR THE RICE AND SEAFOOD:
- 1 cup brown rice rinsed until the water runs clear – 4 to 5 rinses.
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 2 cups kale organic baby kale
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 12 ounces salmon fillet wild pacific king (4 portions at 3 ounces each)
- 1 pound shrimps peeled and cleaned
- 1/2 pound ground turkey organic
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped or diced
- 1 red pepper organic. Seeded and diced.
- 3 vine ripen tomatoes peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced.
- 2 scallions organic. Chopped.
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro organic. Chopped
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce. Roughly chop the peppers.
- 1 3/4 teaspoons sea salt (Divide salt – 1 tsp, 1/2 tsp & 1/4 tsp)
- 1/2 + 1/8 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground (Divide – 1/4 tsp, 1/4 tsp, 1/8 tsp)
- 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika (Divide paprika into 3-1/8 portions)
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
FOR THE SAFFRON CHICKEN BROTH:
-
In a large enough pot add the chicken broth and saffron. Bring to a quick boil. Lower the heat to a slow simmer to keep it warm.
FOR THE RICE AND SEAFOOD:
-
In a 5-quart Dutch Oven, over medium heat, add the onion and red pepper, sauté 2 minutes.
-
Add scallions, cilantro and garlic. Sauté 30 seconds to 1 munite until fragrant.
-
Add tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika and cayenne pepper if using. Stir to combine. Cook for 15 minutes until the vegetables are soft and tender.
-
While the vegetables are cooking, season the shrimps with 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon paprika. Season the salmon with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon paprika. Set aside.
-
Once the vegetables are softened, add the ground turkey – stir to combine and cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Stir occasionally – 2 to 3 times – to break up any turkey lumps that forms.
-
Add the chipotle pepper and brown rice. stir to combine.
-
Add the white wine and cook until mostly evaporated – 2 to 3 minutes.
-
Add 1/4 cup of the saffron chicken broth and stir frequently until mostly evaporated. Continue adding 1/4 cup of the broth 3 more times and each time stir frequently until mostly evaporated. (At this point 1 cup broth has been used up).
-
Add 1 cup saffron chicken broth. Bring to a rigorous boil. Cover pot with a tight lid. Reduce heat to low. Simmer 20 minutes. At the end of 20 minutes, the rice mixture will look wet and soupy.
-
Add the kale, stir to combine. Turn off the heat. Add the parmesan cheese, stir to combine. Add the last cup of broth. Add the shrimps and stir to combine. Place the salmon portions on top of the rice mixture. Use a spoon to gently push about 1/2 the salmon into the rice mixture – 1/2 of the salmon should still be visible.
-
Turn on the heat again to medium-high. Bring to a quck boil. Remove the pot from the stove. Drizzle the fish with olive oil.
-
Place the pot in the oven and cook for 15 minutes or up to 20 minutes.
Note: the rice will look grainy, but it will be fully cooked (test a grain or two between two finger tips). There will still be some liquid in the pot.
-
Remove the pot from the oven. Cover with a tight lid and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. Resting will allow more of the wetness to be absorbed and increase the creamy texture of the dish.
-
Plate. Serve. Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- This dish takes time to achieve the correct texture – especially since it’s the healthier brown rice used. Depending on the type of brown rice you use, the cook time will vary. The rule of thumb to get the right texture is to cook the rice on the stove until it is about 70 to 80 percent done.
- The type of rice used in this recipe is and Organic Light Brown Rice that I found in Costco. The package says cooks in 20 minutes, but I found it’s more like 30 minutes. [You can also substitue white rice or even arborio rice). The arborio will give you more of a risotto texture verses the paella texture.
- For this recipe, I also had to cook the rice longer due to the process of creating a risotto and paella texture in one dish.
- It’s important to season the shrimp and salmon separate from the vegetables/rice. Portion out the salt, freshly ground black pepper and smoked paprika as follow: For the vegetable/rice use 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon paprika. For shrimps use 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon paprika. For salmon, use 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon paprika.
- I used turkey ground meat instead of sausage – you can use sausage if you like or use chicken. Or leave this out of the recipe altogether if you want only the seafood.
