Moorish Paella

By • October 21, 2010 • 77 Comments

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Author Notes: I love paella because it is a little more hearty and cozy than a lot of pasta dishes but just as versatile--you can pretty much fill the dish with whatever you have on hand. I came up with this recipe after a dinner party left me with a few lamb sausages, lots of spices and half a can of harissa I did not want to waste. - NWB —NWB

Food52 Review: The fun of paella is that it's a dish whose flavor you have to build, phase by phase, as you layer ingredients into the paella pan. You can see the dish darkening and intensifying as you move through the steps. In NWB's Moorish Paella you blend a spice mixture of caraway, smoked and sweet paprikas, and cumin, and add it a spoonful at a time so the heat and flavor magnify, and by the end you have a dish that reminds us in its burly spirit of jambalaya. - A&M —The Editors

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Serves 4

  • 4 bone-in skin on chicken thighs
  • 4 small or two large links of Merguez sausage (chorizo is fine if you can't find the lamb sausage)
  • 1/2 head of cauliflower cut into pieces
  • 1 teaspoon caraway, ground
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon harissa
  • 2 cups Arborio (or other short grain) rice
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 garlic clove, diced
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup dry wine (I used a rose)
  1. In the morning place the chicken thighs in a plastic bag or bowl with a generous amount of salt to brine in fridge all day or at least 1 hour. Mix ground spices together in bowl with pinch of salt.
  2. Cut sausage into discs and brown on each side in pan. You can leave them in links to brown as well, I prefer to cut them before cooking. Remove sausage onto paper towel lined plate and let cool. Leave fat in pan. Turn off heat if you need a few minutes to prepare next step.
  3. Remove chicken from refrigerator and pat dry. Use the sausage fat and add olive oil if you need more. Over medium-high heat brown chicken skin side down for 3-5 minutes or until rich brown, turn over and brown for 2 more minutes. Remove chicken to plate with sausage.
  4. Add olive oil as needed and onion to pan and cook about 3 minutes. Add dash of salt and a spoonful of the spice mixture. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add cauliflower and cook for 5 minutes. Add more of the spice mixture.
  5. Add wine and scrape bottom of pan for any bits. Cook for a couple of minutes. Add sausage and harissa and stir until harissa is well incorporated. Add tomato puree and cook for 5 minutes. Add more spice mixture.
  6. Add rice and distribute evenly across the pan. Add chicken. Add chicken stock. Add the rest of the spice mixture and season with salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until rice is cooked through--I find this varies depending on the stove top--20-30 minutes. You can cover the pan if it is taking too long to cook. After it is done cooking let sit off the heat for 2-4 minutes. Serve.

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