4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp. saffron threads, crushed with the back of a spoon
1 lb. chicken tenders or boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-by-3 in. strips
Salt & Pepper
1/4 cup EVOO
1 16 oz. link cooked turkey chorizo (or any sausage you like), diced into 1/4 in pieces
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 jalapenos, seeded, cored, and finely diced
1 cup drained and diced caned tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 cup medium-grain rice, preferably Spanish (or substitute Arborio)
Heat the chicken stock in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, reduce the heat to low, and keep at a simmer. Place the saffron in a small bowl; pour about 1/2 cup of the warm stock over the saffron and let steep.
Meanwhile, season the chicken with salt/pepper. Heat the EVOO in a large skillet over high heat until it shimmers but is not smoking. Add the sausage and the chicken to the pan; cook, stirring until golden brown on all sides (about 4-5 min.), and transfer the chicken and sausage to a plate. Add the bell pepper, jalapenos, tomatoes, and garlic to the pan and reduce the heat to medium-high. Cook until the peppers begin to caramelize (3-4 min.); stir in the paprika and cumin.
Pour the rice into the pan and stir until coated and toasted (about 1 1/2 min.). Pour in about 2 cups of the warm stock and add the saffron steeped liquid; return the chicken and sausage to the pan along with any juice on the plate. Stir to combine and simmer over medium-low heat, uncovered, until most of the stock has been absorbed (about 20 min.).
Spinach Puree
1 lb. baby spinach leaves, well washed
About 1/3 cup water
Meanwhile, in a blender, puree half of the spinach with the water. Add more spinach a little at a time until all the spinach has been pureed. If the mixture can't be pureed, add more water, 2 Tbsp. at a time; the puree should be very thick. Set aside.
Paella Assembly
4 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
Taste the rice and add salt to taste. If the rice is still hard, add another cup of the warm stock and stir. Simmer until the broth is absorbed (10-15 min.); taste the rice again and add more stock if it is still too hard. Let the rice absorb the stock again; the rice is done when it has just a hint of firmness.
Turn off the heat, remove the pan from the heat, and cover the pan with a lid or a large sheet of foil, letting it rest for 5-10 min. Stir most of the spinach puree into the paella, reserving a few Tbsps. to garnish each dish. Taste the paella and add a bit of salt if needed. Dish out a serving of paella, sprinkle some scallions, a Tbsp. of the spinach puree, and some cilantro.
*Original recipe courtesy of Cat Cora's Classics with a Twist p. 134-136
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