Traditional Spanish saffron rice dish with seafood, chicken and chorizo
Recipe by: Syd Bailey
Cook Times
Active Prep15
Hands-On Cook25
Hands-Off Cook30
Passive0
Total Time1 hourhour10 minutesminutes
Recipe Serving Size10people
Cooking Tools Required
Cutting board, Measuring cups and spoons, Saucepan, Sharp Knives
Ingredients
Paella
3tablespoonextra virgin olive oil
12ounceboneless skinless chicken breast
8ouncechorizoBilbao is best but all spanish chorizo will work, casing discarded and sausage cut into 1/4 inch dice
8ounceraw shrimp, peeled and deveinedpeeled and deveined. 12 jumbo shrimps 21/25 or larger
1red bell peppersliced
1tomatoseeded and chopped
2teaspoonsmoked paprikaspanish preferred
1teaspoonKosher salt
¼teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
2cupArborio riceShort grain white rice, or Calaspara or Bomba
½cupgreen peasfresh preferred, frozen ok
1poundmusselscleaned and debearded
1lemonsliced, for garnish
Broth
1 tablespoonextra virgin olive oil
1sprigfresh thymefresh
2clovegarlicminced
1pinchsaffron
5cupchicken stock
8ounceclam juice
½cupwhite wine
Instructions
Broth
Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. When hot add garlic, thyme and saffron, stirring frequently so garlic does not brown.
When garlic is soft and golden (about 2 minutes), and the oil starts to turn yellow. add the clam juice, wine and broth. Move pot to a back burner set to simmer. Start Paella.
Paella
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a paellera set over medium-high heat. Add chicken and chorizo. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes until chicken is mostly cooked through. Set aside on a Large plate.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, then add shrimp and bell peppers. Saute for 4-5 minutes and when cooked through reserve to the large plate.
Add the last tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the tomatoes and paprika, cooking for 3-4 minutes, until tomatoes start to break down.
Add rice. Ladle in just enough broth to reach top of rice. Stir. From this point on DO NOT STIR!! Simmer and as rice absorbs the stock, continue adding just enough stock to cover rice. Cook rice to al dente. about 15 minutes.
Add chicken, chorizo , shrimp and peppers to the pan along with the mussels and peas. Cover with foil and cook until mussels open. about 5-7 minutes.
Remove foil and turn heat to medium high. Cook just until you start to smell rice starting to almost burn. You want rice to have a nice dark crust but not a black bottom.
Notes
A paellera makes all the difference. It produces the socarat, or crunchy bottom part of the rice that is one of the best parts of paella.
Reheating Instructions
reheat in microwave over medium low setting for 4 minutes