Ruth Reichl's Fast and Easy Recipe For Seafood Paella

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 oz. Spanish chorizo (cured spiced pork sausage), cut into 1/4-inch pieces (rounded 1/2 cup)
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 teaspoon pimentón (smoked paprika)
1 1/4 cups short-grain white rice such as Arborio
2 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
1 lb. cockles or other very small (1-inch-wide) hard-shelled clams, scrubbed
3/4 lb. medium shrimp, shelled and deveined, leaving tail attached
1 cup frozen peas
Garnish: chopped parsley

Directions

1. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet (preferably straight-sided) over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Cook chorizo, stirring until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon.
2. Add remaining Tbsp oil, garlic, onion, and bell pepper to skillet with pimentón, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in rice, broth, and saffron, and bring to a rolling boil, uncovered. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, and undisturbed, until most of liquid is absorbed, about 8 minutes. Stir in cockles and shrimp, and cook covered, until cockles open wide and shrimp are cooked through, 3 to 6 minutes. (Discard any cockles that remain unopened after 6 minutes.)
4. Remove from heat and stir in peas and chorizo. Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand until all of liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.

Serves 4.

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