Easy "Lobster" Paella

Last night I made Ina Garten's Easy Lobster Paella, I put Lobster in quotes above because I couldn't find any decent lobster here in Atlanta when I was grocery shopping so I substituted shrimp for it. It was EASY and delicious; my only critique at the end of the night was to me it was not saucey enough (I did leave out the pernod, so that could have been it) and to me was more of an Arroz con Pollo dish, but either way it was DELICIOUS! and easy so give it a try some time.

one of the tricks when making paella is to have everything chopped/prepped and waiting to be used in ziploc bags. LOL kidding I just did that because I wanted to be ready to make everything when our guests arrived. It worked out very well.

ta da and there it is! YUMMO it came out great. oh I also added chicken to the dish and served the shrimp seperately since some people couldn't eat seafood.

Here's the recipe:

1/4 cup good olive oil 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions) 2 red bell
peppers, cored and sliced into 1/2-inch strips 2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 to
6 cloves) 2 cups white basmati rice 5 cups good chicken stock, preferably
homemade 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
flakes 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/3 cup
licorice-flavored liqueur (recommended: Pernod) 1 1/2 pounds cooked lobster meat
1 pound kielbasa, sliced 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick 1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas
1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves 2 lemons, cut into wedges

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a large ovenproof
Dutch oven. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Add the bell peppers and cook over medium heat for 5 more minutes.
Lower the heat, add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute longer. Stir in the rice,
chicken stock, saffron, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil.
Cover the pot and place it in the oven. After 15 minutes, stir the rice gently
with a wooden spoon, and return it to the over to bake uncovered for 10 to 15
more minutes, until the rice is fully cooked.
Transfer the paella back to
the stove top and add the licorice-flavored liqueur. Cook the paella over medium
heat for 1 minute, until the liqueur is absorbed by the rice. Turn off the heat
and add the lobster, kielbasa, and peas and stir gently. Cover the paella, and
allow it to steam for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the parsley, garnish with lemon
wedges, and serve hot.