Paella

Paella

Book: SteveChapter: MAIN COURSE
Serves: 6

Paella is a traditional Spanish dish often cooked outdoors on a fire. In the summertime, using my gas grill keeps me from heating up the kitchen. Making it indoors in the oven and on the stovetop works fine.

There are probably as many recipes for Paella as there are cooks that make it.

The more authentic way of preparing it calls for the formation of a slightly crispy, crunchy layer called socorrat. People do, sometimes, make it without the socorrat, probably because it is a little more difficult and if the cook isn't careful the batch can end up burnt. The socorrat has a very nice texture and is much sought after by purists.

Paella is is a very forgiving dish that adapts well to what items are available.

I use a 15 inch diameter Paella pan that can be placed on two burners of my gas stove at once during the socorrat forming stage.

I also make a different recipe that I cloned from a Mexican restaurant for those that like a Mexican "take" on the dish. That one calls for flat leaf parsley or cilantro and some red and also some green, canned jalapenos.

This recipe for six allows for "seconds" or could accommodate a few more people.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 red onion, diced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

20 shellfish

2 Spanish Chorizo sausages, browned and cut into chunks. This is sometimes hard to find in Minnesota and a good substitute is a mild Italian sausage.

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips18 raw, shrimp, deveined.

Some people like peeled shrimp. Un-peeled has a different flavor when cooked and, I think, a nice rustic presentation.

1 tomato, chopped

1 teaspoon saffron threads

Salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/4 teaspoon cumin

3 cups medium grained rice . Bomba is traditional. Any hard grain medium rice will work fine. Short grain seems to work well too.

6 cups chicken broth

1 small, green,red,yellow, orange pepper cut into strips. If you can get the Costco bags of mini peppers, they actually work better at a lower cost.

4 ounces peas

Lemon wedges, to garnish

Serves: 6-8

Preparation

Preheat oven to 225°
Prep the items.
Scrub and debeard the mussels. Scrub clams, discard any that don't close when tapped. Steam in water, wine, chicken broth or a combination. Set aside. Note: Some cooks put the shellfish directly in the pan but I have overcooked them, on occasion, that way.

Slice the chicken into strips. Half (partial) cook in oil. Set aside. The chicken will finish cooking in the Paella pan

If the sausages are raw, brown them in a pan, cut into 1 inch chunks and set aside.
If you use the Paella pan for browning, leave the fond or "little bits" in the pan for extra flavor. You might need to deglaze to prevent them from burning during the rest of the cooking process.

Wash the shrimp. At least devein. Peel, if you prefer. Set aside.

Heat the paella pan on the stove to medium. Add the oil and bring temperature.

Sauté onions for a few minutes. Do not allow to burn.

Add the rice and allow a few grains to toast.

Pour in one half of the chicken broth.

Add the spices & tomatos and stir.

While the dish is coming to temperature, arrange the peppers, sausage, shrimp and chicken in a spoked pattern.

Place the paella pan in the oven, uncovered.
Add the rest of the broth.

After 20 or 25 minutes test the rice for doneness. If too dry, add a little water or broth.

Arrange the shellfish in the pan, placing a teaspoon of the steaming liquid on each one.

Sprinkle the pan with the peas.

Cover the pan and place on burners over medium heat.
Turn the pan 1/8 turn after each 60 seconds.

When you smell the rice getting toasty and hear the crackle, the socorrat is forming, so take a little peek with a spatula. If it has formed, you are ready to garnish and serve.