Foodie Blog|Paella

What is paella?

Paella, pronounced pay-EH-yah! is a rice dish made in a shallow, wide pan over an open fire. Paella means “frying pan” in Valencian. Traditionally, paella includes short grain rice, green beans, rabbit, chicken, and saffron, but nowadays there are a huge number of variations, from seafood to vegetarian. I made a mixta paella here, which is essentially a mixed paella that has meat, seafood, and vegetables.

How to make paella

1. Soak the saffron. This will release both color and aroma. Pop some saffron into a small bowl with hot water and set aside.

2. Sear the proteins. Heat up some olive oil in your paella pan over medium high heat and give your proteins a quick sear: the chicken goes in skin side down and the chorizo gets browned. Shrimp gets a quick toss in before being removed so it doesn’t over cook. Add the onions, garlic, tomatoes, and paprika and cook, stirring, until soft and fragrant.

3. Add the liquids. Carefully add chicken stock and the saffron water and bring everything to a boil. Flip the chicken skin side up so it’s pretty.

4. Add the rice. Time to sprinkle in the rice! Try to add it in a thin, even layer and use a spoon to spread it out if you need to. Let everything come to a simmer and cook, uncovered until the rice absorbs almost all the liquid.

5. Add the seafood. Nestle in the clams and add the shrimp back on top.

6. Cook on low until the clams open up and the rice is al denote. Turn the heat up to high for 1-2 minutes to create a crispy toasty crunchy rice crust.

7. Rest and enjoy. Cover the paella with some foil and let rest for 5 minutes before enjoying.

What if I don’t have a paella pan?

If you’re wondering, can I use a cast iron skillet to make paella, the answer is yes! As long as you’re using the right rice, you can definitely use a cast iron skillet. Cast iron skillets are somewhat wide and conduct heat well, making them great for making paella. Use the biggest and widest cast iron pan you have so you can spread your rice out.

Paella Recipe

Ingredients

30 threads saffron lightly crushed, about 1/2 tsp
1/4 cup neutral oil high heat such as grapeseed preferred
2 links Spanish chorizo sliced
4 bone in skin on chicken thighs
10-12 large shrimp peeled and deveined
1 small onion minced, about 1 cup
3 cloves garlic crushed
3 medium tomatoes diced or grated, about 2 cups, see notes
1 tbsp smoked paprika
6 cups chicken broth no sodium preferred
2.5 cups bomba rice
1 red or orange pepper sliced into 1" strips
12 clams

Instructions

1. Stir the saffron into 1⁄4 cup hot water in a small bowl and let bloom for 15 minutes.

2. In a 16″–18″ paella pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and the chicken, skin side down. Add the the shrimp and cook, flipping occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes, then transfer the shrimp to a plate, leaving the meats to sear in the pan.

3. Add the onions, garlic, tomatoes, and paprika and cook, stirring often, until the onions soften, about 6 minutes. Add the saffron and 4 cups of chicken stock. Flip the chicken so it’s skin side up and bring everything to a boil over high heat.

4. Sprinkle in the rice, distributing evenly, then add the peppers on top. Cook, uncovered, without stirring, until rice has absorbed most of the liquid, about 12-15 minutes. If the pan is larger than the burner, rotate it every two minutes to evenly distribute the heat. Once the stock is low enough, add the remaining 2 cups chicken stock.

5. Reduce heat to low, and top with the cooked shrimp. Nestle in the clams, hinge side down. Continue to cook, without covering or stirring, until the clams opened and the rice absorbs the liquid and is al dente, 5–10 minutes more. Turn heat to high for 1-2 minutes to create the socarrat. Remove pan from heat, cover with aluminum foil, and let sit for 5 minutes before enjoying.

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