Paella Valencia
Serves 10
Ingredients
- 1 Full recipe Mussel and clam broth
- 1 Teaspoon Saffron threads
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Flaky sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
- ½ Pound prawns, peeled and deveined
- 8-10 Pieces diver scallops, kept chilled draining on paper towels
- ½ Pound squid or cuttlefish, cleaned, heads removed from body and body cut into rings
- 4 Chicken thighs, skin on
- 4 Drumsticks
- Spanish chorizo (preferably Chorizo de Bilbao), sliced on the bias
- 1 Medium onion, chopped
- 1 Bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 6 Cloves garlic, minced
- 4 Cups Paella rice, or another short-grain rice like Arborrio
- 2 Teaspoons sweet paprika
- ½ Cup dry white wine
- 2 Cups chicken broth
- 1 Red bell pepper, de-seeded and cut into strips lengthwise
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- Garnish:
- ½ Cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 Lemons cut in wedges
- 2 Hard boiled eggs, cut into rounds
- Special Equipment – Paellera; a wide, shallow iron pan with handles on opposite ends where the paella is cooked and served in.
Shopping List
- Saffron Threads
- Prawns
- Diver Scallops
- Squid or Cuttlefish
- Chicken Thighs
- Drumsticks
- Spanish Chorizo
- Onion
- Flat-Leaf Parsley
- Garlic
- Paella Rice
- Sweet Paprika
- Dry White Wine
- Chicken Broth
- Red Bell Pepper
- Frozen Peas
- Lemons
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
- 2. Add Saffron threads to mussel and clam broth and set-aside.
- 3. Place Paellera over medium heat and allow for the pan to come up to searing temperature, about 5 minutes.
- 4. In a cookie sheet lined with two layers of paper towels, lay out prawns and diver scallops. Take about a piece of paper towel and pat dry the ingredients. Season both with sea salt, turn over the prawn and diver scallops and season the other side. In a separate cookie sheet lined with paper towels, pat dry chicken thighs and drumsticks. Season both sides with sea salt and set aside.
- 5. Once the Paellera is hot, add ¼ c extra virgin olive oil and sear prawns about 1 minute on each side. Set aside prawns. Do the same with scallops, sear on both sides until a golden crust forms. Set aside. Add more extra virgin olive oil, if needed, then add squid rings and season with sea salt. Toss squid in the oil until the rings turn and opaque white, about 3 minutes. Set aside. Place the chicken thighs to sear, about 3 mins each side. Do the same with the drumsticks.
- 6. Once the seafood and chicken have been seared, add in chorizo to the pan and render its fat. Sautéing consistently for about 5 minutes. Add another ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil. Add in onions, flat-leaf parsley and garlic. Sauté until caramelized and translucent. Add 4 cups of rice and fold the rice in with the chorizo and fat. Do this until the grains of rice become a solid white color. Season with sea salt, pepper and sweet paprika. Pour in ½ cup dry white wine and allow for the rice to adsorb the wine. Once the wine has been absorbed, add saffron, mussel and clam broth. Add in bell pepper strips and fold. Then bury and fold in chicken thighs and drumsticks into the rice mixture. Add ½ cup of chicken broth and bring the rice mixture up to a gentle simmer. Gently stir the Paella, adding ½ chicken broth if the rice and chicken mixture becomes too thick.
- 7. Cover the Paellera with aluminum foil and place in the oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the Paellera from the oven, return back to the pan prawns, scallops and squid then gently fold. Making sure seafood is evenly distributed throughout the entire pan. Add ½ cup chicken broth and 1 cup of green peas. Season with sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Cover with foil and place in the oven for 10 minutes.
- 8. To assemble. Once the Paella Valencia is done cooking, add layer of mussels and clams from the shellfish recipe. Then garnish with sliced hard boiled eggs, lemon wedges and a generous sprinkling of flat-leaf parsley.