Paella


I got a paella pan as a wedding gift MANY years ago! I pulled it out last month for a dinner party with our friends Adrienne and Jack. It had been a while since I made a paella, but I was inspired after eating at the Taberna del Alabardero in Washington DC on "paella night". http://www.alabardero.com/washington/index.html . The best part of a paella is called the socarrat- the rice/olive oil crust on the bottom of the pan. I cook my paella on the stove (typically one cooks it outside on a grill) and finish it off in the oven. I have packets of saffon that Chris and Nate both brought back to me when they went to Spain on their high school Spanish trips. It's hard to believe that this spice is made from the tiny stamens of a crocus plant! Paella is a perfect dish for Maine because of our abundance of fresh seafood. This recipe fits my 15 inch paella pan. (Sorry- I don't know why my photo turned out sideways.)

Page's Paella
  • 3 boneless chicken breasts cut into 4 pieces
  • 3 links of a spicy sausage (preferably chorizo if you can find it (I buy mine at Whole Foods)
  • 10 sea scallops
  • 15 large shrimp
  • dozen mussels
  • dozen clams
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 minced vidalia onion
  • 6 asparagus spears
  • 1 lemon, sliced
  • 1 can stewed tomatoes
  • frozen peas
  • olive oil (at least 1/4 cup)
  • 2.5 cups rice (I use short grain, arborio rice)
  • saffron
  • chicken broth
1. Brown the chicken pieces in olive oil, next brown the sausage pieces (cut into 1 inch chunks), and then sear the scallops.
2. Remove meat from pan and add more olive oil (be generous), garlic (pressed or minced), chopped onions- saute, allowing it to carmelize, then add the stewed tomatoes.
3. Add the rice and "stir fry" to toast the rice a bit.
4. Add water as needed to cook rice, just add a small amount of chicken broth so the rice absorbs the broth then keep adding a bit more, continually cooking the rice.
5. When the rice seems to be just about cooked, stir in the chicken pieces, saffron, sausage, and peas. Blend all together.
6. "Decorate" the paella top by adding the asparagus (in a radiating pattern), scallops, clams, and mussels, shrimp, then pop in a 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes so the shellfish is cooked.
7. Add lemon slices to the top and serve!

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