Paella

Updated at: Sat, 16 Mar 2024 22:27:38 GMT

Step 1

Add olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell peppers and garlic and cook until onion is translucent. Add chopped tomato, bay leaf, paprika, saffron salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add white wine and cook for 10 minutes. Taste and add salt if needed.

Step 2

Add chicken pieces, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley and rice to the pot. Cook for 1 minute.

Step 3

Pour the broth slowly all around the pan and jiggle the pan to get the rice into an even layer. (Do not stir the mixture going forward!).

Step 4

Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Give the pan a gentle shake back and forth just once or twice during cooking. (We don't ever stir the rice, so that a crispy crust forms at the bottom, called a socarrat).

Step 5

Cook for about 15-18 minutes (uncovered), then nestle the shrimp, mussels and calamari into the mixture, sprinkle peas on top and continue to cook (without stirring) for about 5 more minutes. Watch for most of the liquid to be absorbed and the rice at the top nearly tender. (If for some reason your rice is still not cooked, add ¼ cup more water or broth and continue cooking).

Step 6

Remove pan from heat and cover pan with a lid or tinfoil. Place a kitchen towel over the lid and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Step 7

Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon slices. Serve.

Step 8

• Rice: Spanish rice (also called “bomba” rice, calaspara rice, arroz redonda) is traditional in Paella, and it’s what I recommend using. (If your grocery store doesn't carry it, try Amazon, World Market, or an International food market). If necessary you can substitute medium grain rice, like Calrose rice which can be found at Walmart or most grocery stores, and reduce the broth to 3 ¾ cups. (I don’t recommend using Arborio rice or long-grain rice for Paella).

Step 9

• Meat: you could also use pork, turkey, rabbit, chorizo or a combination.

Step 10

• *Broth: Authentic paella would include making your own fish stock from the discard shells of seafood. I usually substitute chicken broth for convenience.

Step 11

• *Seafood: If you don’t like seafood, leave it out and substitute more chicken or vegetables. You can use any combination of your favorite seafood including clams, scallops and chopped pieces of fish. Frozen seafood is a great accessible option if you don’t live near the ocean. (Costco sells a great mixed seafood bag in their freezer section with shrimp, mussels, clams, scallops, and calamari.) Be sure to thaw frozen seafood in the fridge overnight before using.

Step 12

• If buying fresh seafood, smell it to make sure it’s fresh. It should not have a strong fishy odor. Most of the seafood used here will smell like nothing, or just like the ocean (slightly salty). Be sure to clean it properly (remove “beards” from mussels, if necessary).

Step 13

• *Saffron: this may be the most important ingredient, so it’s best to buy high quality. If your grocery store doesn’t carry it, try an International food market, or Amazon. If necessary, substitute 1 teaspoon saffron powder.

Step 14

○ Use different rice: if needed, you can substitute a medium grain rice, like Calrose rice which can be found at Walmart or most grocery stores. Reduce the chicken stock in the recipe to a total of 3 ¾ cups.

Step 15

○ Substitute pork: Substitute boneless pork loin, cut into ½ inch cubes. Brown the pork pieces in hot oil as step one in the recipe. Then set it aside as you sauté the vegetables. Add the pork back to the pan in step 3 before boiling.

Step 16

○ Substitute Turkey or rabbit: Brown the meat in hot oil as step one in the recipe. Then set it aside as you sauté the vegetables. Add the meat back to the pan in step 3 of the recipe, before boiling.

Step 17

○ Substitute chorizo: Add 1 chorizo sausage cut into ½ inch discs. Brown the sausage in hot oil as step one in the recipe. Then set it aside as you sauté the vegetables. Add chorizo back to the pan in step 3 of the recipe, before boiling.

Step 18

○ Vegetarian Paella: Omit the meat and seafood and add extra vegetables, like artichoke, green beans, mushroom, olives and asparagus. Add vegetables in step one of the recipe along with the bell peppers.

Step 19

○ Valenciana Paella: this version of paella is often made with rabbit, chicken, artichokes and green beans.

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