Cajun Paella

Recently, I had the opportunity to work on a campaign for the brand, Aidells®. Have you heard of them? If not, you should DEFINITELY check them out. I was asked to create a recipe using their Aidells® Cajun Link, something that would be appropriate for Fall or tailgating.

The first thing that came to mind was Paella! It’s really a rather humble peasant dish in origin, having been invented in Valencia, Spain. It uses rice as its main ingredient, but it also uses “expensive” ingredients judiciously to maximize flavor and appearance.

Typical Paella uses chicken, shrimp (sometimes clams and/or mussels), other seafoods like squid, and, the most expensive “spice” in the world — saffron. Spanish smoked paprika —

One Skillet Cajun Shrimp & Rice

— is also traditional. It’s also traditionally cooked over an open fire, with the result that the rice on the bottom of the pan gets its signature crisp when done! So, this is a GREAT dish for a tailgate picnic using your BBQ grill or even a camping meal over the campfire!

In my version, I wanted to add the extra smokiness of sausage to my Paella, and that’s where the Cajun links came in! Now, Andouille sausage is

Was frequently added. Andouille can be found in many Cajun recipes, including jambalaya, which, when you stop to examine the ingredients and preparation steps, is really a kind paella already, just more a cooked, broth-based rice dish than the crispy-bottomed Paella.

Cajun Paella With Shrimp, Chicken & Sausage

The rice for Paella is also special. You want to use a short-grain rice like Bomba, that has a nearly round kernel. If you can’t find that (although online sources make it easy to find), you can use a medium-grained rice.

Now, getting to the ingredients for this Paella, I used chicken thighs (they won’t dry out and get tough as fast as breast chunks do), jumbo shrimp, onion, garlic, a good chicken stock, saffron, smoked paprika, tomatoes, frozen peas, and, of course the Aidells’ links.

I’ll walk you through the overall process, but I want to quickly explain something about my use of ingredients: Food is only as good as the ingredients you use in it. And, if you look at what goes into the Paella, you’ll see they are all chosen for their quality and freshness (with the exception of the frozen peas, but you’ve already heard me talk about why frozen vs. fresh). The Aidells sausage is perfect for this dish because it’s made from top-quality all-natural ingredients. I have NO problem bragging about this brand, because it really is awesome. I’ve been a fan for years and there isn’t a product in their line that I don’t love! (yes, this is a sponsored post, but I don’t write about things I don’t believe in 100%!) Oh, one other thing: it’s EASY to find this sausage, which I see as another benefit. I was fortunate to find it at my local Safeway and, for a limited time you can get a $1 coupon by clicking here!

Mixed Paella With Chicken, Shrimp, And Sausage

Ok, back to our recipe. Grab your Paella pan, if you have one; if you don’t a large non-stick skillet works and so will a well-seasoned cast iron pan.

Before serving, you can top the Paella with some sliced green Spanish olives, minced flat-leaf (Italian) parsley and even a little lemon zest, if you like. You’ll find your Paella is bursting with colors and flavor!

Steps that you must follow to ensure you have Paella success, they aren’t hard. Start with excellent ingredients, put them together in the proper order, pay attention to your dish, and don’t forget the final rest! I guarantee you’ll be making this at your next outdoor cookout. I can’t wait to hear how it turned out for you!

Cajun Style Prawn And Chorizo Tray Bake Recipe

Notes: A Paella pan is a great tool to have in your cabinet. You’ll want a sturdy one since Paella is typically cooked over an open flame. This makes the Paella pan handy for outdoor cookouts, barbecues and even camping. If you don’t have one, here’s a link to a great 16-inch pan.

The rice you use for Paella is also critical. You’ll want to use a short-grained rice, not the long-grained you might be used to. Arborio rice can be a passable substitute, if it’s all you have, but if you’re a fan of Paella, it’s worth having the right rice on hand. I’ve had great luck with the Calasparra brand and you can buy a two-pack from Amazon  usually with, next-day delivery! If you store your rice in an air-proof container, it will last you months so don’t hesitate to buy 2-10lbs at a time. You never know when a Paella craving hits!

Ok, back to our recipe. Grab your Paella pan, if you have one; if you don’t a large non-stick skillet works and so will a well-seasoned cast iron pan.

Before serving, you can top the Paella with some sliced green Spanish olives, minced flat-leaf (Italian) parsley and even a little lemon zest, if you like. You’ll find your Paella is bursting with colors and flavor!

Steps that you must follow to ensure you have Paella success, they aren’t hard. Start with excellent ingredients, put them together in the proper order, pay attention to your dish, and don’t forget the final rest! I guarantee you’ll be making this at your next outdoor cookout. I can’t wait to hear how it turned out for you!

Cajun Style Prawn And Chorizo Tray Bake Recipe

Notes: A Paella pan is a great tool to have in your cabinet. You’ll want a sturdy one since Paella is typically cooked over an open flame. This makes the Paella pan handy for outdoor cookouts, barbecues and even camping. If you don’t have one, here’s a link to a great 16-inch pan.

The rice you use for Paella is also critical. You’ll want to use a short-grained rice, not the long-grained you might be used to. Arborio rice can be a passable substitute, if it’s all you have, but if you’re a fan of Paella, it’s worth having the right rice on hand. I’ve had great luck with the Calasparra brand and you can buy a two-pack from Amazon  usually with, next-day delivery! If you store your rice in an air-proof container, it will last you months so don’t hesitate to buy 2-10lbs at a time. You never know when a Paella craving hits!