Spanish Paella for Intellect, Passion, and Individuality | Sara's Kitchen Witchcraft

Chicken and rice season is back. Help me.

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Shut up. This absolutely counts as chicken (and a couple other things) and rice. Don't even start. Cutting season is still going strong (even as I down a couple hard ciders because it's been a long week).

Shut up again. I know it's not Friday yet. In fact, I'm writing this on a Wednesday. It's still been a long week, though, and it's nowhere near over. RIP me.

Anyway, I was originally going to make this just a plain old chicken paella (because where the hell was I going to find shellfish from on short notice?) but then, you know, I should've figured it'd be around, given I live in the Ocean State. I found a frozen bit of shellfish at BJ's: the bag was 1.5lbs of mussels, calamari, octopus, shrimp, and scallops, which was perfect for the recipe I found by Laura Allen from Tastes Better From Scratch. I made a couple mods to her recipe, but otherwise, it's about the same.

I will say, though: Goddamn, saffron is expensive. I bought a tiny tube for $26, and luckly I still have plenty left, but holy shit. That's definitely a magical ingredient in terms of price, flavor, and, well, magic. I know most places will tell you it's 100% mandatory, but honestly, I don't think you'll lose out on that much if you skip it for cost reasons: it adds a floral, herby, almost bitter note that goes really well with the paprika, but there's so much flavor in here that it can stand on its own without saffron, too.

With that said, though, we are going to look at the saffron for our magic, along with octopus, paprika, and peas. Let's take a look!

Magic in Spanish Paella

Boy, that saffron. That's an ingredient we've never seen before, if only because who the fuck is spending that kind of money on it? This is the first time I've ever bought it, and it'll also probably be the last—but it does have a really interesting flavor/smell. Floral, herby, kind of like tea, yet somehow... dignified? I don't know how else to describe it. It's like the flower itself knows who it is and what kind of value it makes. Needless to say, though, with how much value humanity has put on it over the ages, this herb follows a spend money to get money logic: with this herb is the energy of investing in yourself, of wealth and knowledge and power, and it's really interesting to use it in a dish like this, which is, for all intents and purposes, just a seafood risotto.

With our main elements as fire, earth, and water, as well as rarer planets like Neptune stepping up, what we have here is not only the energy for prosperity and success, but specifically the whimsy and, dare I say, the delusion, to chase goals that everyone else tells us are unattainable. Saffron, too, with its purple flower and bright red stigma, is a symbol of divine connection and ambitious fire, and as we chase a beautiful, adventurous, exciting life, this is no doubt the blend of ingredients that’ll help us bring it all into focus.

Spanish Paella

Prep time: 25 min

Cook Time: 20 min

Makes 3-5 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of Spanish (or medium/short grain) rice

• 4 cups of chicken stock

• 1lb chorizo (hot or mild)

• 3 chicken thighs, cut into pieces and trimmed of fat

• 1 large onion, diced

• 2 bell peppers, diced

• 4-5 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 can of sweet peas, drained

• 1.5lbs mixed shellfish/seafood

• 1/4 cup white wine (I used pinot grigio)

• 1 Tbsp tomato paste

• 1 Tbsp paprika (hot or sweet)

• 1 Tbsp dried parsley

• 1 pinch of saffron

• 1 bay leaf

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cut and fry chorizo until the fat releases, then set aside on paper towel lined bowl

2. Add olive oil to any excess chorizo fat, then fry onion, garlic, and peppers in the bowl until softened

3. Add saffron, paprika, bay leaf, tomato paste, parsley, and salt and pepper, then stir to combine and add white wine.

4. Cook until the wine evaporates, about 5-10min.

5. Add chicken, chorizo, and rice, cooking for 2-3min.

6. Add chicken stock and settle everything below the water level.

7. Cover and bring to a boil.

8. When it begins to boil, uncover it and let it cook on medium low for 15-18min, shaking the pan occasionally. (You can stir it, but Allen suggests leaving it so a crust can develop on the bottom. Don't burn the rice, though.)

9. In the last 5-8min, add the seafood and peas and nestle them into the pan without stirring. Push it down enough to be covered by the liquid.

10. Cook until the water is evaporated, then stir.

11. Cut the heat and let the water absorb for another couple minutes, then serve.

The only time I've ever had paella like this has been at fancy restaurants, so being able to make it at home is a real treat! The seafood flavors, the floral notes from the saffron, and the fact that it's a big, hearty, warm bowl of rice and veggies and deliciousness, make it a perfect date night or power-up meal. Try it out! ♥

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Sara Raztresen is a Slovene-American writer, screenwriter, and Christian witch. Her fantasy works draw heavily on the wisdom she gathers from her own personal and spiritual experience, and her spiritual practice borrows much of the whimsy and wonder that modern society has relegated to fairy-and-folktale. Her goal is to help people regain their spiritual footing and discover God through a new (yet old) lens of mysticism.

Follow Sara on Tiktok, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube, and explore her fiction writing here.