Shrimp, Chorizo, and Chicken, OH MY!

While I have enjoyed various improvised versions of this dish before, cooking this dish was somewhat daunting to me given the many firsts I encountered in the process.

Modifications:

I found many varieties of chorizo at the market, but was recommended the Spanish chorizo for "all those who make paella". I didn't realize how commonplace the dish selection was!

I cheated a bit by buying a roasted chicken from the grocery store. It definitely cut out some preparation time.

I used the carcass of the chicken to make my first ever chicken stock, which tasted lovely.

I used the paprika (haven't figured out pimenton yet), and Italian arborio rice as the short-grain.

I added some fresh, shelled, and deveined shrimp to the mix before placing the pan in the oven. As per Fok's recommendation, I placed them around the top so I could easily assess when they were cooked.

Finally, I chanced the modest addition of some sea salt to the mix. Successfully, this time ;)

Preparation:

After the chicken stock was made, I actually found the cooking to go by quite quickly. There was a fair amount of chopping, but when the cooking began, I found myself flitting around the kitchen, leaving a disaster in my wake -- rice pouring over the counter, chicken carcass in the corner, and saffron atop the toaster: "Don't touch! I've been told it's like gold!" I followed the recipe more less directly, and was pleased that it all went as expected. I really liked having the baking time buffer so I could pretend that the whole kitchen disaster never happened.

The Verdict:

I loved this dish. There were many dimensions of flavour in the dish, and it incorporated nearly every food group as well (alcohol counts, right?) I would have liked to add some mussels to the mix, but there were none to be found. Fok professed his love for it a few times, each time with a look of shock on his face. Am I actually becoming a cook?

I will make this again, and perhaps for company if I ever have any! When you come over, I promise to make something else ;) I give this recipe 4.5 !arribas! out of 5.