6 Videos | Photo: The Ultimate Paella Recipe
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 rebalene
on December 25, 2011
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I've made this twice, and followed the recipe exactly. Both times it has turned out wonderful. I bought a paella pan from Sur la Table (20 inch I think. I can't imagine trying to cook this in any other pan. I cook it on the grill (on high the entire time, with a handful of hickory chips wrapped in foil and it has the most amazing flavor. I also use chicken stock and add the saffron to it in advance.
By dmophead_11998862
Royal Oak, 62
on December 25, 2011
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Wish I had read some of the other reviews BEFORE investing in this dish.
My pan was too small for all the ingredients noted, and the rice (medium grain did not absorb well. Nothing like crunchy rice.
Will make again, using HALF the required measurements, and will also use SHORT grain Sapnish rice!!!!!!!
Expensive to make, will try again around the Easter holiday season.
By aathena
on November 26, 2011
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I've used this recipe several times, but it really only worked beautifully when I invested in a $25 fifteen-inch paella pan and knocked the rice down to 1.5 cups and use 4 cups of liquid. You really have to cut the rice down that much. Authentic paella recipes only use that much rice in huge paella pans like Tyler had in his video.
I simmered my saffron in clam juice and chicken stock before adding it to the rice. The secret to great paella is not filling the pan with too much stuff. I used 3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into pieces, 12 large prawns, 6 scallops, 12 mussels, 1 chorizo, and 1/4 lb squid and the pan was PACKED. I was really pushing it.
When the rice is cooked this way it is absolutely incredible. I ordered Spanish Bomba rice online. If you can’t get it, kick in a few extra dollars and buy short grained paella rice. DO NOT USE LONG GRAINED RICE. Basmati or Uncle Ben's will ruin this dish; it will come out mushy and will not absorb the flavors.
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