This Korean fusion style paella with kimchi, shirmp, and chorizo sausage is an impressive one skillet meal for everyone. Use well fermented kimchi and whole shrimp for the best flavor.
When I think of Spain, Paella comes next. (Can’t resist not to think of food) Paella is a famous Spanish rice dish cooked with various meat and/or seafood in one pan. Saffron is often added to give the irresistible golden color and a hint of flavor to the dish.
I had bought some large tiger prawns a while ago and kept them in the freezer. I was taking them out thinking of making shrimp tempura for dinner. As I was shutting my freezer door, a small packet of frozen sausage fell off on my foot. (Ouch! that hurts!!) I picked it up. It was the Chorizo sausages. I had large tiger prawns on one hand and a packet of Chorizo sausage on the other. I turned around, and there was a container of very fermented kimchi on my counter that I was going to fry up to make something. With all these 3 ingredients in my sight? Sayonara (goodbye) to the shrimp tempura and Hola (Hello) to Paella!
Flanken Style Short Ribs With Kimchi Fried Rice
The result was outstanding. I am so glad that the Chorizo sausage fell off on me accidentally. The dinner was satisfying and I am sitting down here to share with you how I made my fusion paella – with a Korean touch!
For the rice, it is best to use medium grain but all I had was Korean style short grain. There are times in life you just have to make the best out of what you got when you don’t have everything.
I want to use the whole shrimp to bring the full flavor in the dish but I know my family won’t like to peel the shrimp shells as they are eating. (and I bet you don’t either) So this is what I did. Using a toothpick I poked under the first notch of the shrimp back and pull out the gunk to devein.
Kimchi Bacon Fried
Then I peel the shell off the body part only. The shrimp head holds lots of flavor that you want to keep while cooking. By peeling off the shell on the body, the body meat will fall off effortlessly from the head.
Paprika, and a bay leaf. If you have some saffron (and don’t mind using in this recipe), this is a good time to add.
Stir to combine and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to low. And NO MORE STIRRING at this point. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by half.
Traditional Spanish Paella With Shrimp
I like to push the shrimp gently to bury in the rice just a little. I added some frozen peas to let the world know that I don’t forget to eat my greens…
Toward the end you will see the liquid is pretty much absorbed by rice and you need to either sense or smell the rice getting toasty on the bottom crust part of paella. When your rice is tender and the shrimp is fully cooked, sprinkle some fresh parsley if you have. And serve this flavorful fusion dish hot off the pan.
This is very satisfying dish, guys. The subtle tomato flavor binds kimchi and chorizo up very nicely. The bottom had a nice socarrat crust that I always love from paella. Since I used the short grain, the texture of rice is a little stickier than I hoped for, but still tasty.
Creative Kimchi Creations] 9. Seafood Kimchi Paella
The possibilities of making a delicious dish with kimchi is abundant. If you have lots of fermented cabbage kimchi in your fridge, Try this paella fusion. You won’t regret.This one-pot meal inspired by the Spanish dish, paella, is prepared with spices, rice, vegetables, seafood, chorizo, and kimchi, and is perfect for sharing.
While paella is traditionally cooked with some saffron, rice, vegetables, chicken and seafood in a single pan, there are many variations of paella. There is vegetable paella, seafood paella, chicken paella, and mixed paella. My own adaptation includes vegetables, seafood, chorizo, and, of course, kimchi. For seafood, I use shrimp and a few mussels. But if you would like to add more seafood, I have seen other recipes add clams and calamari. For the chorizo, I like to get the soft, uncooked ones, uncase them and cook the ground meat inside so that there is some smoky, savory chorizo in every bite. The kimchi also adds a subtle tang and some additional spice.
Short or medium grain rice, namely Bomba, is used in paella since it absorbs flavors very well. I had to use Arborio rice since I couldn’t find Bomba rice at my local grocer. Arborio rice is an Italian short grain rice that is used to make risotto. Although it is a sufficient rice substitute, Arborio rice makes a creamier sauce as it releases more starch. When cooked, Arborio rice is also softer than paella rice, which when cooked has a more al dente bite.
Korean Paella Recipe
Try not to stir the rice in paella too much to prevent the starches from releasing and creating that thick, gooey consistency. It also allows the rice to cook undisturbed and create the crispy, sought after socarrat.
The socarrat, or toasted layer of rice at the bottom of the pan, reminds me of a similar, crispy rice layer that forms at the bottom of the hot stone bowl in a Korean dish called dolsot bibimbap. You can find my recipe for al dolsot bibimbap here. I like to make sure I get some of this extra flavorful socarrat into my serving of paella.
Get mussels with shells that are tightly closed, moist, shiny, and not chipped as these all indicate their freshness. Although it is best to cook with the mussels the day of, you can still save them in the refrigerator for up to two days by covering them in a bowl with a damp paper towel or kitchen towel.
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Mussels sold at the grocery store are usually farm-raised, and so for the most part are clean. You don’t have to worry about soaking them beforehand to purge them of any sand. If at home you find some mussels with their shells open, lightly tap on the shell. If the shells don’t close, discard the dead mussel. To clean the mussels, place them in a colander under running cold water, and gently scrub away any debris, barnacles, or mud spots.
You also want to debeard the mussels. The “beard” looks like a bundle of fibers sticking out of the shell. Remove the beard by grabbing it with a small piece of paper towel between your thumb and index finger, pulling it toward the hinge of the mussel shell. Then, firmly pull until it comes out. Farm-raised mussels are usually already debearded.
Paella is traditionally cooked in a wide and shallow, carbon steel pan. If you don’t have a paella pan, you could use any large, shallow skillet that allows for even cooking. I use my cast iron skillet. Also, while paella is cooked mostly uncovered, my inspired version is cooked covered with a lid. Since the ingredients in my recipe are cooked consecutively on the same pan, clean up is also easy.
Vegetarian Sausage & Fennel Paella Recipe
I admit that my inspired version of paella is not authentic in terms of ingredients or preparation (and maybe even taste), but I still find it quite delicious in its own way.
If you make this Kimchi Paella, I would love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to leave a comment and/or recipe rating at the bottom of this page. And if you have a photo of your food, be sure to tag me on Instagram!
This one-pot meal inspired by the Spanish dish, paella, is made with spices, rice, vegetables, seafood, chorizo, and kimchi, and is perfect for sharing.
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