Fridge Foraging: Oven Baked Paella

When I first started teaching myself to cook (before cooking school) I basically cooked all of Ina's recipes. Her recipes are so well written and tested that it was a great way for me to learn the basics. One of the recipes that I kept on going back to during those days was her Lobster Baked Paella. It was just so easy. I don't think I ever used the lobster in there but the base recipe was delicious. 

In this week's fridge foraging it was between this paella and cashew chicken (which I promise to make one day!) I was inspired by that old Ina recipe to create an easy oven baked paella. I skipped the lobster and used shrimp and sausage instead. I also used jasmine rice since that is what I had in the pantry. The result is one easy and tasty dinner that is guaranteed to be a fridge!

Enjoy!

Oven Baked Paella

• 1 onion, diced 
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced 
• 2 Tbs. olive oil 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. crumbled saffron 
• 2 cups jasmine rice
• 4 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock
• 8 oz sausage,, sliced  (I used andouille but keilbasa or chorizo would also work) 
• 1 cup frozen peas 
• 1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced 
• Garnish with parsley 

Preheat oven to 425F

In an oven safe and stove top safe pan or Dutch oven, saute the onion and the red bell pepper in the olive oil over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the saffron and rice and stir until the rice is coated with the onion mixture. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and fold in sausage and peas. Top with lemon slices and shrimp. Return pan to oven and cook until shrimp are opaque and pink, about 8 to  10 minutes. 

Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately. 

Makes about 4 to 6 servings.