It has been our tradition for many years to celebrate the end of the school year with paella. The children are celebrating the beginning of summer and the adults are delighted that we’ve made it through the school year! Nothing makes for a better evening than cooking with friends and family and some ice cold bottles of Rosé
We hemmed and hawed over attempting Paella for some time. And then our bestie, Amber Sakai, had chef Ben Ford over for a party where he cooked a Paella. We watched intently while he cooked and from that point on, our fears were lifted and it was game on. Amber bought a couple different sizes of paella pan and a circular burner and we went to town!
You don’t need to buy a burner. It’s possible to start the Paella on the stove and finish it in the oven. We do however recommend that you buy a paella pan. The dish was named after the pan it is cooked in, a Paellera. There are loads of inexpensive options out there and the sizes vary. I own an 18″ pan and it’s perfect for 6-8 people.
Ours may not be a traditional Valencian version, but we prefer to make our Paella with chicken, shrimp and clams. The beauty of Paella is you can make it with anything you like. Like most things we cook, this recipe is a place to jump off, use your imagination and ingredients at hand.
If you’re looking for a great cookbook on the subject, I love Paella by Alberto Herraiz for it’s creativity and information.
All paellas start with a sofrito, or flavor base, of chopped vegetables cooked in oil. The longer the sofrito cooks, the darker and more intensely flavored the paella will be.
Once you’ve stirred the rice with the cooked sofrito and the stock, leave it alone, uncovered.
Chicken and Seafood Paella
Quantities are per person
Ingredients
1 cup chicken stock per person
5 threads saffron per person dissolved in a little white wine
4 tablespoons, or more, olive oil, to cover bottom of pan
1 piece of chicken, such as a thigh, per person
½ to 1 soft chorizo, such as Bilbao or Palacios, per person
½ teaspoon Spanish sweet pimenton (paprika) per person
1 clove garlic per person, minced
¼ cup chopped onion per person
⅛ cup grated tomato (cut in half, grate and discard the skin) per person
2 shrimp or prawns per person – shell on or off depending on you preference
2-4 small clams and/or mussels per person
artichoke hearts,
Instructions
Heat stock in a separate stock pot. Crush saffron and add it to stock or a little bit of white wine. Heat paella pan over medium heat, add olive oil and fry chicken until it begins to brown. Next add garlic and onions and saute until translucent. Add chorizo and cook until heated. Add the rice, stirring until well coated with oil. Add the paprika and grated tomato. Stir while cooking for a few minutes. Add saffron flavored wine and hot stock. Bring to a boil while scraping the bottom of pan. Now the rice should be level and you will not need to stir from this point on. Adjust heat to maintain a nice simmer. When the rice has absorbed a good amount of liquid but still has a soupy appearance add the mussels or clams. Once the rice is cooked add the shrimp or prawns tucking them down into the rice, then the piquillo peppers, artichoke hearts, green beans, beans and peas. During this time the rice should be caramelizing on the bottom of the pan or creating what is called the socarrat. It will make a faint crackling sound and smell toasty sweet but not burnt. Set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, garnish with lemon wedges and serve.
If cooking in the oven:
Begin your recipe on the stove top but after adding the liquid carefully move your paella pan into the oven (350̊-400̊). Once rice is done return it to the stove top to create the caramelized layer of rice on the bottom of the pan.
Notes
13 inch paella pan for 4 people
15 inch for 6 people
17 inch for 8 people
22 inch pan for 12 people
Put out a beautiful charcuterie and cheese plate to nibble on while the Paella cooks. Make a nice green salad to go with the Paella and welcome Summer!
