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Paella

This is probably the most famous Spanish dish, at least for those outside Spain. The reputation is well-deserved and the dish is not as complicated as it sounds. The term "paella" comes from the name of the metal pan in which the dish is cooked. It is a large shallow pan without a lid. This is one of the greatest party dishes that I know.

Cuisine: Spanish
Courses: Main Course
Serves: 6 people

Recipe Ingredients

2 lbs 908g / 32ozChicken - cut up
1/2 cup 118mlOlive oil
1/2 lb 227g / 8ozChorizo - Spanish or Mexican
2   Onions - peeled, sliced
3   Garlic cloves - crushed
1/4 lb 113g / 4ozSmoked ham - cut julienne
2   Tomatoes, red ripe - diced
2 cups 320g / 11ozLong-grain rice - converted
3 cups 711mlChicken stock - fresh or canned
1   Saffron or turmeric - optional
1 tablespoon 15mlPaprika
1/4 teaspoon 1.3mlRed-pepper flakes - crushed
1/4 teaspoon 1.3mlThyme - whole
10 oz 284gFrozen peas - (1 pkg) - thawed
2   Red bell peppers, sweet - cut into rings
10 oz 284gFrozen artichoke hearts - (1 pkg) - thawed
1 lb 454g / 16ozSquid - cleaned, and
  Cut into circles
1/2 lb 227g / 8ozLarge shrimp - peeled, deveined
1 1/2 lbs 681g / 24ozClams in the shell - rinsed
1 cup 237mlDry white wine
  Freshly-ground black pepper - to taste
  Salt - to taste

Recipe Instructions

Heat a large paella pan or a large frying pan. If you do not have a paella pan, plan to do the sauteing in a regular frying pan and then place the ingredients in a large but shallow Dutch oven.

Add 1/4 cup of the oil and brown the chicken pieces. Remove them from the pan.

Add the chorizo, without the casing, the onions, garlic and ham. Saute until the onions are clear and then add the tomatoes. Saute for 5 minutes more and remove all from the pan.

Add remaining oil to the pan and add the rice, stirring over the heat until the rice begins to brown lightly.

In the meantime, prepare and heat the stock. Add the paprika, crushed red-pepper flakes, thyme, salt and pepper to taste, to the stock. Bring to a boil.

Pour the rice into the paella pan or Dutch oven. Pour on the peas and top with the red bell pepper slices and the thawed artichokes.

Add the sausage mixture along with the chicken. Top with the squid and shrimp. Push the seafood down into the rice a bit, then pour on the boiling stock. It must be boiling.

Cook, uncovered for about 10 minutes, or until the rice begins to absorb the liquid. You must be careful that this does not burn. Turn the pan often on the burner so that everything cooks evenly.

Now add the clams, sticking them into the rice, hinge side down. Pour the wine over the whole works and continue cooking until the clams are open and the rice is light and tender.

Serve your guests from the buffet, allowing them to choose their own dinner from the paella.

Source:
THE FRUGAL GOURMET by Jeff Smith - From the 08-28-1991 issue - The Springfield Union-News

Rating

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9.9 (9 votes)

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