Name: Skillet Paella
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 1 pound extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined; ½ teaspoon chili powder; ¼ teaspoon pepper; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 8 ounces chorizo sausage , sliced ½ inch thick; 1 onion , chopped fine; ½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried; 3 garlic cloves , minced; 1 cup long-grain white rice; 2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice; 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes , drained; ¼ teaspoon saffron threads , crumbled; 12 clams or mussels , scrubbed, mussels debearded; ½ cup frozen peas; 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley; Lemon wedges

Why This Recipe Works

The key to re-creating this recipe was replacing the paella pan with a skillet with a tight-fitting lid and paring down both the prep work and the ingredients while keeping the dish's signature flavors intact. We began by choosing fast-cooking proteins: shrimp, chorizo, and either clams or mussels. Because the shrimp, rice, sausage, and clams all cook at different rates, we cooked them in stages, first sautéing the shrimp, followed by the sausage, and then setting them aside. We used the sausage's fat to cook the aromatics and herbs before toasting the rice, which then soaked up the flavors of clam juice, tomatoes, and saffron. We steamed the clams toward the end, letting them release their liquid into the rice. Now we had a tasty paella recipe that could be cooked in about an hour. If you can't find chorizo, use tasso, andouille, or linguiça.

Before You Begin

You will need a 12-inch nonstick skillet with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe. Instead of 12 clams or mussels, you can use 8 of each if you desire more variety.

Instructions

Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and season with chili powder and pepper in bowl; set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add shrimp and cook until curled and pink on both sides, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl and cover with aluminum foil.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet and heat until just smoking. Add chorizo and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer chorizo to bowl with shrimp.

Add onion and thyme to fat left in skillet and cook over medium heat until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in rice and cook until grains are sizzling and lightly toasted, about 1 minute.

Stir in clam juice, tomatoes, and saffron, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to boil, then cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Off heat, stir in chorizo. Arrange shrimp and clams over top and sprinkle with peas. Cover and cook over medium heat until shellfish have opened, about 7 minutes, discarding any that don't open.

Remove skillet from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with lemon wedges.