Classic Paella Valencia
Paella takes its name from the wide flat-bottomed pan in which its traditional cooked. Alter the ingredients to whatever you prefer or have on hand, but keep the base of vegetables, rice and stock. Any kind of fatty, flavorful pork sausage or hunks of pork ribs cleaved into small pieces will work here. Traditional paella includes shrimp with the shells left on. For ease of eating and to invigorate the flavor of the stock, I've shifted to shelled shrimp. If you're game, try cooking this on the stove top or over a BBQ grill, the timing should be roughly the same. Paella pans are typically sold by centimeters; a 30 cm pan typically feeds four. This recipe is designed for a 38 cm to 40 cm pan to serve six or eight.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. pound medium shrimp peeled and deveined (shells reserved)
- 6 cups fish stock or chicken broth
- ¾ cup olive oil
- 1 ½ to 2 pounds chicken thighs and legs
- 8 ounces pork sausage cut into one-inch pieces
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 1 large tomato seeded and chopped
- 1 green pepper peeled, chopped
- 1 pinch of saffron threads about ½ teaspoon, crushed
- 2 cups uncooked long-grain rice
- Salt pepper to taste (at least ¼ teaspoon each)
- 2 oz. roasted red pepper sliced
- 1 14 oz. can artichokes
- 8 oz. medium scallops cut in half
- 8 oz. ounces grouper or other white fish filleted, cut into chunks
- 1 dozen mussels bearded and cleaned
- 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen peas 2 lemons cut into wedges
Instructions
- Heat the stock in a large pot. Shell and devein the shrimp; cover and set aside in the fridge. Place the shrimp shells into the stock and let simmer while you finish the recipe. Clean and prep the vegetables and meat before beginning to assemble the paella.
- Preheat oven to 450 F. Add the olive to a traditional paella pan or wide shallow sauté pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken pieces and brown carefully for about 10 to 12 minutes or until cooked. Add the sausage and sauté about 3 minutes. Then add the minced garlic, bay leaves, onions, green pepper and tomato. Cook and stir occasionally for about five minutes until vegetables soften.
- Meanwhile, strain the stock to remove the shrimp shells and add the saffron to the stock and set aside. Add the rice to the softened vegetables and cook, stirring, for about five minutes. Add the stock to the rice along with a few cranks of black pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt. Bring back to a boil. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, transfer to the oven and bake for about 20 minutes.
- Add the shrimp, scallops and fish, pressing into the hot rice. Return to the oven and continue cooking until the seafood has cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add the mussels in a ring around the edge of the pan, toss the peas over the top and cover. Put back into the oven for another four to six minutes until the mussels open. (Discard any mussels that do not open after cooking.)
- Remove from the oven and let stand, covered, for a few minutes before serving.