Portuguese Paella

Overall a good recipe, but clearly off in regards to cooking times and methods. I have made it twice, the second time with some substitutions and adjustments just based on my own experience, personal taste and what I had on hand. The changes are fairly lengthy, but if you're interested, you can find a list and pictures on my blog: http://soup2nutz.wordpress.com/2011/07/30/a-portuguese-adventure-paella-at-home/

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YUM!! I replaced the sausage with keilbasa and omitted the asparagus bc I didn't have any and the peas bc I dislike them. So I bumped up the other veggies (the peppers, onions, and tomatoes) and it came out great. Instead of putting the pan in the oven I switched the food to a oven safe dish and threw in the shrimp in the middle. It needed a little longer than the directed time for all the broth to cook through but when it was done, it was the prettiest and most colorful dish. The shrimp didn't even overcook. I also replaced the saffron (which I cannot find anywhere) with tumeric and it was still awesome. This will definitely be a repeat offender in my house!

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This is an excellent dish. I've made it three times now; once as the serving for six and twice for larger parties where I had to transfer to large casserole pan because of tripling the recipe. Here is something I don't understand but noticed the first time I made this and corrected the cooking time: the uncooked arborio rice requires far more cooking time than 16 minutes (10 minutes plus the 5 after adding shrimp). No one else seemed to have this noticed so what have I missed? After adding the rice, I cooked for 3-4 minutes (vs 1 minute), then added 1 cup of chicken stock and cooked until it was absorbed before adding last 2 cups, combining with meat and transferring to the oven. I then found I had to cook for 20 minutes vs 10 for the rest of stock to be absorbed and the rice softened. I would also use 1/2 teaspoon of saffron for 6 serving size.

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Awesome meal! I did have to add about 5 minutes to the oven time to get the rice done (I used a medium-grain Calrose rise), but other than that the only change we made was to omit the asparagus. We will definitely be making this again.

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WOW - this was simply fantastic. After toting my large paella pan back from Spain (5 years ago!), I never used it :(. I was extremely excited to make an authentic paella in it. With my only sub being chicken breast and no aparagus, I did everything else. It was really easy to prepare and cook. I did have to bake it a bit longer than 10 min - more like 20-30min. My husband and I devoured this through the whole week. I'm making it again today and will definitely have to freeze some for a FFY night. Thanks!

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This is so good. I made this last night for my family and we enjoyed this very much. I made this in an extra large cast iron skillet. I didn't have the chicken thighs so I used breasts. I also couldn't find saffron :( , but I'm on the lookout for next time. (I'm thinking I will order online) We loved this. Even with the changes this was a great dish. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us.

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My family really enjoyed this recipe. I did make some alterations based on the ingredients I had on hand. I did not have saffron and I used italian sausage and it still came out great. Also used smoked paprika instead of sweet. I will def make this again.

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This was very nice. I'd never made paella before (or tasted it, to be truthful) and I'd never cooked with saffron but I splurged on some and this looked like a good recipe to try out. My husband wasn't sold on the saffron taste -- said it was a bit bitter for him -- but that it mellowed down in the leftovers the next day. Personally I loved the saffron taste. I did make a couple changes. Since we don't eat pork, I used some turkey hot italian sausage links and I cooked the paella completely on the stove top because I had bread baking in the oven. I don't like bell peppers but since the red would look nice and I know my husband likes them, I put them in. They really added a nice taste and I'm glad I used them (but if you tell anyone I said that about bell peppers, I'll deny it.) This is definitely a keeper.

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Don't make this without a trial run. Cooked this in the oven an extra 5 min. since the shrimp weren't done. Some of the arborio rice came out overcooked and mushy, while some was undercooked and chalky. Next time I'll make it entirely on the stove so it can be stirred frequently and tested.

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Hate it when people change recipes but I had to make due with what I had. Used chicken breast cut in about 1 inch chunks and slightly cooked (no pink outside) during the initial browning. Followed recipe exactly but substituted about 1/2 bag of fresh baby spinach, chopped, for the asparagus. Will make again for sure. Thank you for a good recipe that was relatively easy to make.

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YUM!! Thank you very much for this delicious recipe. I was looking for a paella recipe to honour the memory of a great friend who cooked this for us, adding tonnes of love. I can't tell you how much it means that 'I got it right' first go, and on her birthday too... I made the recipe exactly as described and it was perfect - we had nine people for dinner and all raved about it. Thank You!

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Yummy Yummy Yummy! This is my first time cooking paella and it was a total success. I used 2 spicy chorizo links instead of the 1 link suggested. I also used Vigo yellow rice with saffron so I didn't need to buy the threads. The rice took a little longer to cook, but just stay patient! My husband took the leftovers to work the next day and all of his colleagues wanted the recipe! Thanks for posting.

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Thanks for this recipe. It was very simple and very delicious. I made a few changes, for example used andouille sausage, deglazed the pot after frying the onions with dry white wine, and used red pepper flakes. Do not omit the saffron, it is the secret ingredient. You can get it a decent price at Indian grocery stores or Trader Joes.

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This is the easiest and best paella recipe I've found. I use Mahatma Saffron Yellow Seasonings Long grain Rice packet plus some regular white long grain rice to equal 1 1/2 cups. This way I can omit the expensive saffron threads. I then omit the salt, because Mahatma puts plenty of salt in their packets. I use low sodium chicken broth and a shredded rotisserie chicken. I omit the sausage (just personal preference). Thank you for posting this recipe!!

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This is probably one of the yummiest tastiest things I've made. I absolutely love it!! I can't buy Portuguese chourico here, so I used andouille instead. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. mmmmm

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Hello from Portugal! Well you definitely deserve 5 stars, I'd give you more but I cant. I maked this quite often in my home. I some- times add in fresh clams it gives it a very good flavoor. thanks for posting,

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this was freakin awsome. this was the first time i ever made paella and my family loved it.

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Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe! I added two packets of Sazon for coloring and taste, as well as a little red crushed pepper to the onions when sauteeing. It turned out great!

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This recipe is amazing... My guests loved it. Super easy to make and very tasty! I will be making this again. Thank You!

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