SWORDFISH AND CHORIZO KABOBS ON MOSTLY-VEGETABLE SAFFRON RICE

Swordfish and Chorizo Kabobs on Mostly-Vegetable Saffron Rice image

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 19

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Ingredients

Juice of 2 lemons
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro (a handful)
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley (a couple of handfuls)
2 teaspoons crushed hot red pepper flakes
Coarse salt
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 pounds swordfish steak, trimmed of skin and dark connective tissue and cubed
3/4 pound chorizo, casing removed and cut into 2-inch chunks
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves stripped from stems and chopped
1 small zucchini, diced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup white enriched rice
1 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets
2 cups chicken stock or broth
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads (a healthy pinch)

Steps:

Preheat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan to medium high.
To a shallow dish add the lemon juice and garlic. Pile the cilantro and parsley together and finely chop them. Pile the green herbs into the dish. Add the red pepper flakes and a generous dose of coarse salt and the 1/4 cup of EVOO. Mix the marinade and add the fish. Coat the fish evenly with the marinade, then thread it onto metal skewers. Thread the chorizo onto another skewer with cut sides facing out to expose them to the grill and so they will get good markings. Reserve the skewers.
Heat a deep, medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tablespoon of EVOO and the butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the thyme, zucchini, bell pepper, onion, and rice. Stir and sauté the mixture for 3 minutes, then add the cauliflower and stock and season with salt and pepper. Stir in saffron threads and bring the liquid up to a bubble. Cover the pan tightly and reduce the heat to simmer. Cook for 17 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
Place the skewers on the grill when the mostly-vegetable rice has cooked for 5 minutes with the lid on. Cook the fish for 8 to 10 minutes, until opaque, turning every couple of minutes. Cook the chorizo for 2 to 3 minutes on each side to get good markings; the sausage is already fully cooked, you are just warming it and marking it.
Uncover the vegetables and rice and stir. Pile portions of the mostly-vegetables and saffron rice on plates. Remove the swordfish and chorizo from their skewers and combine them. Pile the fish and cooked chorizo on top of the veggie and rice mixture and serve.