Food, Fun, Love: Paella Grilled Shrimp

This next recipe from our Food, Fun & Love cook book is the Paella Grilled Shrimp! Perfect for your next dinner party or simply a meal for yourself or your family!

10 medium shrimp (size 21/25), peeled, deveined and butterflied

1 cup chicken stock

3/4 tablespoons clam base (a paste available at specialty stores)

Pinch of saffron threads
3 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup onion, minced

2 teaspoons  minced garlic

1/4 cup red bell pepper, peeled and finely diced

1/4 cup zucchini, finely diced

4 ounces Spanish sausages, we use hickory smoked pork that is fully cooked, finely diced

1/4 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 plum tomato, peeled and pureed

2 tablespoons grated parmesan

1 large beaten egg

Salt and pepper to taste

Vegetable oil to sauté the cakes

3 sprigs of fresh tarragon

Chimichurri  Sauce (see recipe index)

Clean, peel and devein the shrimp and lightly toss in a half cup of the Chimichurri Sauce. Place in a container and refrigerate overnight to marinate.

Bring chicken stock, clam base and saffron to a boil, reduce to low heat and let simmer. In another pan, sauté the onions and garlic with butter until it is almost translucent. Then add the bell pepper, zucchini and sausage and cook until soft. Add the rice and stir to make sure it is coated with butter, and then add white wine. Cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid has almost completely evaporated.Stir in the pureed tomato then begin adding the simmering stock, about one quarter cup at a time, stirring continuously and making sure the rice has absorbed the stock before adding the next quarter cup. Repeat until the cup of chicken stock is absorbed.

Remove the pot from heat, stir in parmesan cheese and beaten egg. Immediately transfer the rice to a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper and then sprayed with nonstick spray and spread evenly in a 11/4-inch thick layer. Cover it with plastic wrap, smoothing it out with your hands to make sure the top is as even as possible. Refrigerate for two hours until the rice sets. You can store the rice this way up to 24 hours.

Cut the chilled paella into 10 2-inch square cakes. Sauté the paella cakes in vegetable oil, in batches, until golden brown on both sides. As the cakes are done, place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Add a little more vegetable oil to the pan and sear the shrimp, about two minutes on each side, and transfer to a bowl. Add a half cup of Chimichurri sauce with the shrimp and toss lightly. Transfer the shrimp onto a baking sheet and bake in a 350 degrees oven for 5 minutes. To assemble, place a small dollop of Chimichurri sauce in the center of aPaella cake, then place one shrimp on the square, garnish with fresh tarragon and serve.

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