Classic Paella (as adapted from The Spanish Table, Traditional Recipes and Wine Pairings from Spain)
INGREDIENTS ARE LISTED PER SERVING!! WE ADAPTED THIS RECIPE TO SERVE 6 AND THEREFORE ALL
INGREDIENTS WERE X6.
5 threads saffron
¼ cup warm, dry white wine (water, or broth)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or enough to cover bottom of paella pan
1 chicken thigh
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1-2 garlic cloves minced
½ cup onion chopped
1 soft Spanish style chorizo (fully cooked, the smoked kind)
½ cup uncooked Bomba Rice or other Valencian rice. (If not available, Arborio rice can be substituted)
½ teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika or sweet paprika
¼ cup diced tomato
1 cup water or clam juice
1 cup chicken stock
2-3 shrimp
2-4 small clams or mussels
½ red bell pepper cut into strips
¼ cup frozen green peas, thawed
Parsley and lemon wedges for garnish
Dissolve saffron in wine and set aside. At a medium to medium high temperature, heat the olive oil in a
paella pan large enough to hold your desired servings. Lightly season the chicken thighs on both sides
with salt and pepper. Cook the thighs, until browned on both sides and juices run clear. Remove and set
aside. Add onions and garlic, sauté until translucent. Add chorizo and cook until heated throughout.
Add the rice and paprika, stirring until well coated with oil, about a minute. Add the tomato, wine with
saffron, chicken stock and other liquids. Bring to a boil, stirring, and then adjust heat to maintain a
simmer. Add the chicken back to the pan, and the seafood. (If using clams or mussels, push the hinge
side down into the rice.) Add the remaining vegetables.
Cook for 25-30 minutes or until the rice is done. Unlike risotto, do not stir the paella. Rotate the pan as
necessary to spread out the heat. Don’t worry about the rice sticking to the bottom of the pan, because
if the rice forms a caramelized layer on the pan that is a good thing called socarrat!! (Just be careful
that the rice does not dry out and burn.)
When the rice is done, remove the paella from the heat and let it rest for 15 minutes, lightly covered
with foil or paper. Perfect time for an aperitif!!
Gadgets Used for the Paella Demo
Paella Pans suitable for cooking on the grill, Garlic Twist, Carolina Plantation Rice
Lonna’s Notes
We did not use seafood for this demo. Also, we substituted a roasted 1-2 pound turkey breast rubbed
with Paella seasonings. We chopped the turkey breast and added when the recipe called for adding
back the chicken thighs. We adapted the recipe to serve 6. In doing so, we discovered that there was a
significant amount of liquid that would be added. We left out (1 cup water or clam Juice) and simply
went with the stock. In the demo we added 4 plus cups turkey stock. This seemed to be sufficient to
cook the rice and still have moist paella.