Lazy Paella Recipe for a Week's Worth of Food

Lazy Paella

This version of the signature dish from Chef Michael Kramer at The Lazy Goat in Greenville, South Carolina looks far more complicated than it actually is and will make a week's worth of delicious leftovers. The best way to get started is have all your ingredients prepared before diving in. Conversely, if you want to make a meal to impress a foodie or a special someone, this is it.

Shopping List for the Sofrito Broth:

1 medium size red onion; diced

6 cloves of garlic; smashed

1 medium size red bell pepper; seeds removed and diced

1 medium size yellow bell pepper; seeds removed and diced

1 serrano chile; roughly chopped with seeds

6 medium roma tomatoes; roughly chopped with seeds

¼ cup white wine

¼ cup sherry

¼ cup cream

½ bunch cilantro; torn in half

Pinch saffron

2 quarts vegetable or chicken stock

Shopping List for the Paella:

3 tbsp. olive oil

2 cups Arborio Rice (short grain Italian rice; if you can't find substitute sushi rice)

8 oz. Spanish Chorizo; sliced thin

¼ cup shallots; finely minced

½ cup roasted peppers; diced

1 cup cherry tomatoes; halved

8 asparagus spears; trimmed and blanched

12 snow peas; trimmed and blanched

8 large prawns; deveined (prawns means shrimp)

Instructions for Making the Broth:

1. Heat a large sauté pan until smoking hot. Very carefully add 3 tbsp. of olive oil.

2. Add the red onion and crushed garlic, stirring constantly until slightly charred for two minutes.

3. To the onion and garlic, add the bell peppers and Serrano chile and continue to cook at high heat for 3 minutes.

4. Add the chopped roma tomatoes and allow to cook for 7 minutes or until all of the liquid has evaporated. Season generously with salt and pepper.

5. Once the tomatoes have cooked down, add the white wine and sherry and reduce by half.

6. Add the heavy cream and saffron bringing to a boil. Once boiling, turn off the heat and add the torn cilantro.

7. Allow the mixture to cool. Once cool, transfer to a blender and blend.

8. In a large pot heat the stock to boiling and reduce to a simmer. Slowly add the sofrito to the stock whisking constantly. Allow to simmer while you prepare the rest of the paella.

Instructions for Making the Paella:

1. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat.

2. Add 3 tbsp. olive oil to the pan and sauté the shallots.

3. Once the shallots are translucent, add the rice and chorizo to the pan stirring constantly as in the preparation of risotto.

4. Gradually add the stock, ladle by ladle, stirring constantly until all of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.

5. Turn off the heat and add the roasted peppers, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, and snow peas. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Season the prawns with salt and pepper and grill or sauté in a separate pan.

7. Transfer the paella to a large serving dish and top with the grilled shrimp.

For a little something extra, add roasted chicken and serve with toasted baguettes.

Makes 6-8 servings.