Some people argue that a true paella must contain only meat or seafood, never both, that a true paella can be prepared only in a paellera, or that true paella must be cooked outdoors over wood. Perhaps they’re all right. What’s clear to me is that you can produce a fabulous rice dish I call paella in just over half an hour, which makes it a great option for weeknights.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1 quart chicken stock

　　Pinch of saffron threads (optional)

　　3 tablespoons olive oil

　　1 medium onion, minced

　　2 cups medium-grain rice

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　2 cups peeled and, if you like, deveined shrimp, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

　　Minced fresh parsley for garnish

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 500°F or as near that temperature as you can get it. Warm the stock in a saucepan along with the saffron if you’re using it. Put an ovenproof 10- or 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. A minute later, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until glossy, just a minute or two. Season liberally with salt and pepper and add the warmed stock, taking care to avoid the rising steam. Stir in the shrimp and transfer the skillet to the oven.

　　

Step 3

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is dry on top. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

　　

Variations

Step 4

Shrimp is my first choice for this dish, but the alternatives are numerous. As long as the pieces are less than 1/2 inch thick, anything will cook through in the time it takes for the liquid to evaporate. Try any combination:

　　

Step 5

Sausage, (especially chorizo), cut into bits

　　

Step 6

Peas and/or other vegetables, cut up if necessary

　　

Step 7

Scallops, treated exactly like the shrimp

　　

Step 8

Boneless pork or chicken, cut into 1/2-inch or smaller cubes

　　

Step 9

Tofu, stirred into the rice during the last 5 minutes of baking

　　

Step 10

Clams and/or mussels, well scrubbed, placed on top of the rice when you put the pan in the oven

　　From Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes From the New York Times by Mark Bittman Copyright (c) 2007 by Mark Bittman Published by Broadway Books.Mark Bittman is the author of the blockbuster Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.