serves 4 - 8
This dish is the true inspiration for this menu. A couple years ago I had a team offsite at Iberia Restaurant where talented chef Jose Luis Relinque taught us how to make paella: all day and with lots of wine. I took copious, indiscernible notes, and this recipe is the result of a wonderful afternoon on the restaurant patio with good friends, good food and perhaps too much good wine. I highly recommend checking this place out for dinner or for offsites.
Ever since then I have wanted a paella pan, and eventually an outdoor paella burner. I have a vision of having paella cookouts on the beach. We still don't have a burner, but we do have two paella pans, and even Alton Brown agrees, it is necessary for creating this dish.
The original recipe calls for monkfish which was difficult to find, expensive to buy, and hideous to look at, so we dropped it. Paella rice was also terribly difficult to find, but well worth the effort as it cooked beautifully, Whole Foods had it in a canvas sack.
Be forewarned, this dish takes hours to make. HOURS. We made the sofrito the day before and then proceeded on the day of. I think it took around 2 + 2.5 hours total in actual cook time, not including chopping.
ingredients
- 1/2 cup Olive Oil
- 3 Onions, chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
- 2 Tomatoes, chopped
- 4 cups Chicken Stock
- 8 Saffron Threads
- 4 Chicken or Pork pieces, any (we used pork)
- 1/8 lb Cured Ham, diced
- 1/2 lb Squid, cleaned and sliced 1/4" thick
- 1/2 tsp Pimento (Spanish Paprika)
- 1/4 lb Bay Shrimp (the little ones)
- 2 cups Spanish Paella Rice
- 8 Prawns (16/20), peeled, deveined
- 4 Large Sea Scallops or 16 Bay Scallops (we used bay scallops)
- 1/2 lb Monkfish, or other white fish, cleaned, cut into cubes (we nixed this)
- 2 Artichoke Hearts, quartered, parboiled (we used jarred hearts)
- 8 Clams, scrubbed
- 8 Mussels, scrubbed and debearded
- 1/2 cup Peas (we used frozen)
- 2 Roasted Sweet Pimientos, peeled, seeded and cut into strips (we used jarred, chopped pimientos)
- 8 Lemon Wedges
- Sea Salt, and lots!
instructions
Add the saffron threads to the stock and simmer over low heat.
Sprinkle the chicken, prawns, scallops, monkfish and squid generously with sea salt.
Add 1/4 cup olive oil to the paella pan. Make sure paella pan is flat (oil does not spread in one direction). Over medium heat brown the chicken/pork thoroughly on all sides. Add the cured ham. Move to the edge of the pan.
Sofrito: Over medium heat, put 1/4 cup olive oil in the paella pan. Cook the onions and the garlic until translucent, stirring often. DON’T BURN. Add the bell pepper and cook until soft. Add tomato and continue cooking and stirring until most of the moisture has evaporated. Mix with the chicken/pork and move to the center. Spread homogeneously.
Increase the heat to medium-high and add the squid. Allow some of the moisture to evaporate, then mix with the sofrito, and sprinkle generously with paprika. Add the bay shrimp. Spread homogeneously.
Add the rice over the meat and sofrito. Distribute evenly by jiggling the pan. DO NOT STIR ANY MORE. When the pan regains its heat, ladle 1 cup of the stock gently over the rice and bring to a boil. Add more as necessary, once previous cup has evaporated. Reduce heat to a simmer. Arrange the prawns, monkfish, scallops and artichokes by pushing them down into the mixture. Allow the juices to heat and taste for seasoning. Arrange the clams in the same manner, placing them hinge side up. Sprinkle the peas over the paella. When the clams are barely starting to open insert the mussels in the same manner as the clams.
Cook uncovered until all the broth is absorbed and the shells have opened. Rice should be just about done. Add more broth if needed. Remove from stove and let rest for 10 minutes, covered with newspaper or a dishtowel. Decorate with pimiento strips and lemon wedges.
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