Sense of Home
Paella
~adapted from Tyler Florence's "The Ultimate Paella"~
2 cups chopped or shredded chicken
2 chorizo sausages, thickly sliced
1 onion, diced
1 sweet red bell pepper, sliced, save a few slices for a garnish
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
15 ounces whole tomatoes, drained and crushed
4 cups short grain Spanish rice
6 cups water, warm
generous pinch saffron threads
1/4 cup clam juice
1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1/2 cup sweet peas, frozen and thawed
salt
Lemon wedges, for serving
Toss the chicken and spice mix* until evenly coated.
Heat a small amount of oil in paella pan (or a wide shallow skillet) and heat over medium-high heat. Saute the chorizo until browned, remove and reserve.
In the same pan, saute the onion, pepper, and parsley. Cook for 2 minutes over medium heat, add garlic and cook for another minute. Then, add tomatoes and cook until the mixture caramelizes a bit and the flavors meld. Fold in the rice and stir-fry to coat the grains. Pour in water and add a little salt, simmer for 10 minutes, gently moving the pan around so the rice cooks evenly and absorbs the liquid. Add the clam juice, chicken, chorizo, and saffron. Give the paella a good shake and let it simmer, without stirring, until the rice is al dente, for about 10 minutes. Add shrimp, tucking them into the rice and continue cooking until shrimp are pink and form the shape of the letter C. When the paella is cooked and the rice looks fluffy and moist, turn the heat up for 40 seconds until you can smell the rice toast at the bottom.
Sprinkle thawed peas around the outside of the dish and add sliced lemons and peppers as a garnish. Lemons slices can be squeezed over individual servings just before eating.
*Spice Mix for chicken
1 tablespoon smoked Spanish paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
salt and freshly ground pepper
Combine ingredients in a small bowl.
