paello

My paello, which stresses, but does not vocally emphasize, the “lo” in the title, is meant to be a better dietetic version of the classic paella, in whatever form it may take, such as the one above†. A little rice is present, but nowhere near the amount found in originals.

• 4 chicken drumettes, skin on or off
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ medium onion, diced
• 2 oz Spanish (not Mexican!) chorizo, in 1” pieces
• ¼ cup long grain white rice
• 2 oz peas
• ½ cup chicken stock
• 1 summer squash, diced
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 roasted red pepper, sliced in strips
• ½ cup fat free Mayonnaise
• 1 clove garlic, puréed
• 1 lemon, juiced and quartered
• 2 oz bay scallops
• 4 mussels, in shell
• 4 clams, in shell
• 4 large shrimp, peeled, deveined
• 4 pieces cooked octopus or squid
• ½ tsp paprika
• pinch saffron

Brown the chicken drumettes in the olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and continue to sauté them until just turning brown. Cut the chorizo in 4 pieces, add to the pan, and sauté briefly, one minute. Add the rice, peas, summer squash, tomato, red pepper, and chicken stock to the pan. Cover and simmer at low heat for 10 minutes while the rice absorbs the stock. After 10 minutes, check the progress and add a little more stock if the mixture seems dry. Add the lemon rind, quartered, recover, and cook another 5 minutes. At this time, add the sea food, paprika, and saffron; then recover and cook another 5 minutes, at which time, turn the burners off.

Make an aioli from the Mayonnaise, garlic, and reserved lemon juice. Turn the paella out into a serving plate, grouping the meats among 4 portions. Drizzle the aioli over the completed paello.