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Spanish Paella
Ingredients:
Equipment: Paella pan or large sauté pan, wooden spoon, cutting board, Wüsthof Knife, tin foil, kitchen towel, pre-heated dinner plates
- ¼ cup Grapeseed or Avocado oil
- 1 cup Onion, peeled, diced
- 1 cup Bell Pepper, seeded, diced, red and green
- 2 tbsp Garlic, peeled, sliced (approx. 3-4 cloves)
- 3 each Roma tomatoes, finely diced (or 1 cup canned tomatoes)
- 1-2 each Bay leaves
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 pinch Saffron threads (do not use powdered saffron)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- ½ cup White Wine
- 4-5 pieces Chicken Thighs or Breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¼ cup Flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 cups Spanish Rice (arroz redonda or Calaspara rice)
- 5 cups Chicken Broth (or fish stock if you have it)
- ½ cup Green Peas, frozen
- ½ pound Prawns, peeled, tail on, about 12 pieces
- ½ pound Mussels, cleaned properly, about 12-14 pieces
- 4 ounces Calamari rings
- 1 each Lemon for garnish, cut into wedges
- ¼ cup Parsley sprigs or coarse chopped for garnish
- 2 tbsp Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Method:
- Add oil to paella pan (or skillet) over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers and garlic and cook until translucent. Add tomatoes, bay leaf, paprika, saffron, and salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add wine, cook for 8-10 minutes. Taste and adjust if necessary. It should be heavily seasoned at this point.
- Add chicken, parsley, and rice, cook for 1 minute stirring lightly.
- Pour the broth slowly around the pan and jiggle the pan to get the rice to sit in an even layer. Do not stir the rice going forward!
- Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low. Give the pan a gentle shake once or twice during cooking. No stirring! Never stir the rice, as you want a crispy crust to form on the bottom called a socarrat. Stirring may result in a mushy rice texture
- Cook, uncovered, for 15-18 minutes, then nestle in the prawns, mussels, and calamari into the mixture, then sprinkle the peas on top and continue to cook (without stirring) for about 5 minutes. Watch for most of the liquid to be absorbed and the rice at the top nearly tender. If at this point some of the rice is not cooked, add ¼ cup of broth or water and continue cooking.
- Remove pan from the heat and cover with a lid or tinfoil. Place a kitchen towel over the lid and let rest for 10 minutes. Very important.
- Garnish with the fresh parsley and serve with lemons if desired. Personally, I Microplane some zest and add a fresh squeeze of lemon juice over the paella, finishing it with a drizzle of top-quality olive oil.
Chef's Tip: The most important items in this recipe are the rice and Saffron. Source out good quality products at Valoroso or Mediterranean market. Codfather’s Seafood Market is a good source for the seafood. Change up the combination of products to suit your taste or seasonal availability. I quite often add sliced chorizo sausage to the mix. The technique is the key to the success.
- Serves 4-6
Filed Under: mains & sauces, fish & seafood.
