Ingredients
- Spice Mix for chicken, recipe follows
- 1 (3-pound) frying chicken, cut into 10 pieces
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Spanish chorizo sausages, thickly sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 Spanish onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- Bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped, reserve some for garnish
- 1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and hand-crushed
- 4 cups short grain Spanish rice
- 6 cups water, warm
- Generous pinch saffron threads
- 1 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined
- 2 lobster tails
- 1/2 cup sweet peas, frozen and thawed
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Special equipment:
- Large paella pan or wide shallow skillet
Directions
Rub the spice mix all over the chicken and marinate chicken for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Heat oil in a paella pan over medium-high heat. Saute the chorizo until browned, remove and reserve. Add chicken skin-side down and brown on all sides, turning with tongs. Add salt and freshly ground pepper. Remove from pan and reserve.
In the same pan, make a sofrito by sauteing the onions, garlic, and parsley. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes on a medium heat. 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 simmer for 10 minutes, gently moving the pan around so the rice cooks evenly and absorbs the liquid. Add chicken, chorizo, and saffron. Add the clams and shrimp, tucking them into the rice. The shrimp will take about 8 minutes to cook. Give the paella a good shake and let it simmer, without stirring, until the rice is al dente, for about 15 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, when the rice is filling the pan, add the lobster tails. 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, then it's perfect.
Cook's note: The ideal paella has a toasted rice bottom called socarrat.
Remove from heat and rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with peas, parsley and lemon wedges.
Spice Mix for chicken:
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken; marinate for 1 hour, covered
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By herrhess_11502275
East Aurora, NY
on May 05, 2013
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Perfection
By nyc086
new york city
on April 23, 2013
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awesome
By Sirenamorena
on February 15, 2013
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So far, this is my favorite paella recipe. I made "my version" tonight for well-traveled friends and one commented: "I have had great paella in the world but none compare to this." Instead of "water" I cooked paella in a mixture of 2/3 of broth (chicken or clam juice to 1/3 of white wine. I don't like lobster so I didn't add that. I did add artichoke hearts along with shrimp (for the final layer. I also added mussels (once the clams had had a chance to bake first since they take longer than mussels. Added red bell pepper strips which contribute to the color and taste. Also used Spanish "chorizo" which is different from regular chorizo. Because there were only three of us, I used only chicken thighs. Once it was nearly done, I squeezed lemon juice on it besides serving it with lemon wedges. My friends encouraged me to start a catering business tonight. Served with baguette brushed with Spanish olive oil and herbs plus Sangria.
Read all 87 reviews