Recipe Ingredients
- 2 (12-ounce) packages frozen Sea-Pak Shrimp Scampi
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
- 1 (14.5) ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 cups chicken broth, preferably less-sodium
- 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 cup Earthbound Farm frozen peas
- 1/2 cup large pimento stuffed green olives, quartered
- Minced parsley to serve
Recipe Directions
1. In a large skillet or sauté pan (if you have a paella pan, by all means use it!), cook the shrimp over medium high heat until the butter sauce has melted and the shrimp is almost cooked through, about 4 minutes in all – they will finish cooking in the rest of the dish. Removed them with the sauce to a bowl and set aside.
2. Return the pan to the heat and add the oil to the pan. Add the onion and peppers and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 3 minutes, then stir in the garlic and the rice, and stir occasionally for another minute until the grains of rice are well coated with the oil and vegetables.
3. Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juice, the broth, and saffron, and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer gently over medium low-heat, partially covered, until the rice is just barely cooked, and the liquid is almost absorbed, about 20 minutes. Place a plate over the bowl to prevent the shrimp from falling into the pan, and pour the sauce from the shrimp into the pan, stirring to mix with the rice and vegetables. Simmer for another 5 minutes until the liquid is almost completely absorbed. Season with pepper. Stir in the partially cooked shrimp, the peas, and the olives. Cover the pan, and continue to cook over medium low heat for another 3 minutes until the shrimp and peas are cooked, and the liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle over the parsley and serve hot, straight from the pan.
Cooking Tips:
– Keep the shrimp scampi and the peas frozen, until ready to prepare.
– Saffron is a very expensive spice, made from the stamens of crocuses, and very labor intensive to harvest, but you only need a very small amount to add terrific flavor and color to this dish.
– Use 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika instead of or along with the saffron for a different, slightly smoky flavor
-Warn everyone at the table that the pan is hot! But, serving the paella straight from the pan is really pretty and dramatic.
-Try Sea Pak frozen Marinated Shrimp in this dish for a whole different flavor. Skip the saffron.
