Paella

Paella is one of my favorite dishes.  That's why I always have some of its "must-have" ingredients like saffron threads, evoo (extra virgin olive oil) and pimenton dulce or sweet paprika.  The rest I can substitute with something else if a bad craving arises and I have to make it for my own satisfaction.  So at any given day, I more than likely have tomatoes, Cal Rose rice at least, some kind of sausage or seafood so there's no way I can't whip a tasty paella.  Just like last weekend when I was on a baking frenzy sort of but I still have to make real food and I kind of knew what I can easily make and fast without disturbing my baking mode.  

I did not intend to blog about this since I already have quite a few paella posts in the past but this is for some special people who requested the recipe.

So it started with the chicken breast which I chopped into cubes and seasoned with sweet paprika; a little salt and freshly cracked black pepper

I have a bag of frozen seafood mix leftover from one of our "Okonomiyaki Nights" which I thawed and drained.  I wish I have fresh seafood but this works just fine.  I'll make up on the other ingredients 

Now I go high end with my Iberico sausage- so yummy I have to stop myself or I could finish it off by itself.

Princess Minaya saffron which is quite pricey but worth it!  After all, saffron is indeed the world's most expensive spice, right? 

 Evoo, chopped onion, minced garlic, canned diced tomatoes, green peas and flat leaf parsley completes the list of ingredients

Let me list it down again:

1 chicken breast, chopped into bite-size pieces and seasoned with :

1 1/2 tbsp sweet paprika,

1 tsp kosher salt and

1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

1 medium white onion, chopped

1/4 cup evoo

1 can diced tomatoes

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 bag seafood mix

1 cup steamer or baby clams

1 Iberico sausage sliced diagonally ( you can use chorizo de Bilbao)

4 cups short grain rice

1 1/2 quart boiling chicken broth or stock

flat leaf parsley

1/2 cup green peas

saffron threads

kosher salt

freshly cracked black pepper

It's time to brown the chicken pieces (seasoned with sweet paprika, salt and pepper) in olive oil over medium high heat- set aside

 Next comes the Iberico sausage- lightly brown on both sides; scoop from the pan and set aside

By now the oil is infused with flavors coming from the sausage, sweet paprika, salt and pepper.  It's time to make the sofrito.  Saute onion until translucent followed by garlic until fragrant.  Add the diced tomatoes and stir.

Add the short grain rice and stir one time- just shake the pan during the whole process 

I almost forgot, you should have a pot of boiling or very hot stock or broth close by to use.  You don't want to change the temperature of the rice by adding room temperature tap water. 

This you ladle into the rice as it cooks.  Remember just shake the pan to let the broth seep into the rice.

When the rice is already double, it's time to tuck in the browned chicken pieces and just spread the seafood mix over the rice.  It's also time to add our saffron threads.  Just tuck them in between rice and seafood mix- shake the pan again.

You will see that the rice almost cooked through so it's time to add the green peas, steamer clams and sausages.  Still looking a little soupy but a couple of shakes of the pan will allow the liquid to further seep into the rice.

You may either cover the pan with aluminum foil if your paella pan does not come with a lid.  Lower the heat and just let the steam finish the process off.

  Garnish with flat leaf parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

You can check my other paellla recipes under the Spanish and Rice labels.  

Enjoy this toasted part called socarrat which is the prized part of paella.