PAELLA WITH SHRIMP AND FAVA BEANS

Paella With Shrimp and Fava Beans image

"Sometimes the simplest paellas can be the most satisfying," David Tanis wrote in 2012, when bringing this recipe to The Times. Here, fresh, wild-caught shrimp are peeled and deveined, the shells saved for a broth to flavor the rice (though a chicken broth can also be used, if you're short on time). The shrimp is then marinated, and cooked separately, layered over a bed of rice, fava beans and chorizo.

Provided by David Tanis

Time 1h30m

Yield 4 to 6 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

2 pounds of medium shrimp in the shell, preferably wild
1 small onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 bay leaf
1 large thyme sprig
Salt and pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoons pimentón (spicy smoked paprika)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion, diced small, about 2 cups
4 ounces Spanish chorizo, diced small
1/2 teaspoon crumbled saffron
2 cups short-grain rice, preferably Bomba
3 cups shucked and peeled fava beans, from about 4 pounds of pods, or substitute fresh peas or frozen baby limas
4 and 1/2 cups hot shrimp broth (steps 1 and 2) or chicken broth

Steps:

Peel and devein shrimp. Reserve shells.
Make the shrimp broth: in a medium-size pot put the shrimp shells, sliced onion, sliced garlic, bay leaf, thyme sprig and 1 teaspoon salt. Add 7 cups water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes, then strain. Taste and adjust for salt; the broth needs to be well seasoned. Yield should be about 5 cups. Reheat just before using.
Rinse the shrimp briefly in a bowl of cool lightly salted water, blot the shrimp with paper towels and put in a bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil, the minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon pimentón, and a little salt. Mix well to coat with seasonings and let marinate at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a 14-inch paella pan, earthenware cazuela or cast-iron skillet, add 5 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the shrimp in one layer and cook very briefly, about 30 seconds per side. Remove shrimp and set aside. Add the diced onion and chorizo to the pan along with a pinch of salt. Let the mixture cook in the oil, stirring frequently, until well softened and barely colored, about 15 minutes. Add the saffron and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pimentón and cook for a few minutes more.
Add the rice and raise the heat to medium high. Stir well to coat with the onion mixture. Add the fava beans and season with salt and pepper. Add 4 1/2 cups hot shrimp broth and bring to a brisk simmer, stirring once or twice only to distribute the fava beans. Taste broth and adjust seasoning if necessary. Simmer, uncovered, until most of the broth has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and arrange the par-cooked shrimp over the surface in one layer.
Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and cover with a clean dish cloth. Let the rice rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with homemade garlic mayonnaise or aioli if desired.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 690, UnsaturatedFat 18 grams, Carbohydrate 76 grams, Fat 25 grams, Fiber 6 grams, Protein 40 grams, SaturatedFat 6 grams, Sodium 1366 milligrams, Sugar 10 grams, TransFat 0 grams