According to
Wikipedia: Paella is a Spanish rice dish originally from Valencia. The dish
takes its name from the wide, shallow traditional pan used to cook the dish on
an open fire. Paella means "frying pan" in Valencian. As a dish, it
may have ancient roots, but in its modern form it is traced back to the
mid-19th century, in the rural area around the Albufera lagoon adjacent to the
city of Valencia, on the east coast of Spain.
There are literally hundreds of recipes for paella. I have two cookbooks and several tapas cookbooks with recipes.
I decided on a
small dinner party to make paella. Not quite as good as being in Valencia but
one must take what one can get.
There’s the pan.
It’s a wide, shallow and preferably made of carbon steel. Some are small some are huge!
Making paella
is a process. I went with fairly traditional: chicken, chorizo, shrimp, clams
and mussels. I have two cookbooks just about paella and there are literally
over a hundred different variations.
A sofrito is the
mix that gives the paella is vibrant color (as well as saffron). It has onion,
tomato, garlic, paprika and bell pepper that is sautéed in olive oil until
thick. This mixture is usually made ahead on the stovetop.
I use a propane
gas burner to cook outside. A gas grill or charcoal grill can be used as well.
Look up paella burner and you’ll know what I mean. Or simply use the stovetop.
Then fire it all up, heat the paella pan and brown the chicken and chorizo. Set
aside, throw the sofrito in with more olive oil, toss in the rice. Stir to coat
with oil and sofrito. Pour in the stock. Tuck in the chicken and chorizo. Have
it at a good simmer for about 15 minutes. Add shellfish and cook another 10 or
so minutes. And listo (Spanish for voilà) paella!
There’s a
tricky part though.… the socarrat. This is the crispy browned bottom of the paella.
It’s tricky because the paella must never be stirred once the stock it added therefore
it’s easy to burn the crusty bottom.
So, a pitcher
of Sangria, a tapa before dinner and then the prize.
Sofrito
3 tablespoons Spanish olive oil
2 cups yellow onion, grated
1 cup red bell pepper, minced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups grated tomatoes
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher
salt
1/2 teaspoon black
pepper
Heat a large
skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add the onions
and sauté until they are transparent but not browning,
Add the bell pepper and continue to cook for 5
minutes, adding olive oil if necessary. Stir often so vegetables do not brown.
Add the minced
garlic and sauté until fragrant. Pour the tomatoes into the pan and stir to
combine. Add the paprika, salt and pepper. Mix well. Cook the sofrito until the
liquid has evaporated and is very thick. Set aside.
Paella
1 recipe sofrito
16 large shrimp
16 clams
16 mussels
4 skinless boneless chicken thighs,
cut into 2 or 3 pieces
4 Spanish chorizo sausages, cut into
2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups Bomba rice
1/4 teaspoon saffron
3 cups hot chicken broth
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
2 large lemons, cut into wedges
kosher
salt
freshly
ground black pepper to taste
Heat a 17-inch paella
pan over medium high heat. Add olive oil a heat until shimmering.
Pat the chicken
dry and season with kosher salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pan and
brown it well, turning the pieces with tongs and regulating the heat so they
color evenly without burning. As the pieces become a rich golden brown, remove
them to a plate. Add the sausage and brown evenly. Set aside.
Add the
sofrito, rice, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and the saffron. Pour in the stock
and, stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Turn the heat down so the pan is
simmering
Arrange the
chicken and sausage on top of the rice. Add shrimp, mussels and clams. Scatter
the peas at random over the whole pan. Cook uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes or
until all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice and the grains are tender
but not too soft. At no point should the paella be stirred after it goes in the
oven.
When the paella
is done, turn off the heat drape a kitchen towel loosely over the top. Let it
rest for 5 to 8 minutes. Then garnish the paella with the lemons and serve at
the table directly from the pan.
Serves 8
