Paella with Seafood, Chicken and Chorizo

July 21, 2009.   6 Comments.   Categories Poultry, Seafood, Spanish.  

Paella with Seafood, Chicken and Chorizo

There is something so festive and inviting about Paella . . .especially when it’s prepared over a wood fire or on the beach.  I don’t claim that this recipe is an authentic or traditional version which would probably have rabbit and lima beans instead of chorizo and gabanzos.  But I believe a 20 inch paella pan can be like an artist’s canvas.  Have fun with it and make it reflect your own taste or event.  Even if you take some liberty with the ingredients, everyone including the Paella purists will be coming back for seconds!

Trick:  Most recipes say to cook the seafood with the remaining ingredients prior to serving.  For a nice touch, saute the seafood in a mixture of olive oil, lots of garlic, smoked paprika and add parsley and pour over Paella just before serving.

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

• Brine for chicken
• 1 cup olive oil
• 4-6 chorizo sausages, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, diced
• 3 heads of garlic, not skinned but cloves detached from heads
• 8 Spanish Piquillo peppers, cored, seeded and sliced lengthwise
• 6 pounds of chicken thighs (bone in)
• 4 Spanish onions, chopped
• 5 Roma tomatoes (optional… some prefer not to include tomatoes)
• 1 bunch flat leaf Italian parsely, chopped
• 6 cups chicken stock, homemade or organic (but not low sodium)
• 1-2 cups of white wine
• 20 saffron threads
• 2 1/2 teaspoons Spanish smoked paprika
• 5 cups uncooked Valencia short-grain rice
• 2 16-ounce cans garbanzo beans (optional)
• 1 pound asparagus, chopped into 1 inch sized pieces
• 1/2 pound fresh baby artichoke hearts
• 1/2 pound wide green sweet peas or green beans (cut into 1 inch pieces)
• 5 Meyer lemons, cut into wedges, for garnish

For seafood saute’

• 24 jumbo whole shrimp (don’t remove shells but split up the back to devein)
• 24 New Zealand Green Lip mussels or fresh black mussels (which ever look better)
• 24 small clams
• olive oil
• lots of extra garlic cloves, chopped
• extra parsley, chopped

Brine for Chicken:

• 1 gallon cold water
• 1 cup Kosher salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 TBSP sweet paprika
• 2 TBSP cracked peppercorns

Brine chicken for 4 hours in the refrigerator.  Drain brine, place chicken on a cookie sheet and pat dry with paper towels.

Heat a large paella pan over medium-high heat (preferably over an open kindling sized fire in BBQ or firepit) Add a small amount of olive oil to the pan and saute the chorizo until browned then set aside.  add remaining olive oil and garlic heads and peppers.  Lightly fry peppers.  Remove  just the peppers and set aside.

Add chicken legs and thighs to the pan, brown on all sides. When chicken is golden, add the onions and chopped garlic and saute until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes (if using)  most of the parsley, chicken stock and wine to the pan.  Simmer for about 30 minutes until liquid has reduced. Meanwhile, crush the saffron and the smoked paprika in a mortar and pestle and add it to the stock.

After a half hour, stir in the rice and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.  Do not stir or cover the rice. Gently move the pan to reposition it over the heat to ensure all sides cook.  As the rice cooks, add artichoke hearts, asparagus, peas and garbanzo beans

During the final 10 minutes, in a separate pan quickly saute the shrimp and shellfish in bunch of garlic, olive oil, smoked paprika and parsley them pour them on top of the Paella just when you are ready to serve it.

You’ll know when it’s ready when all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice and you can just start to smell the rice carmelizing on the bottom of the pan (it should be lightly toasted rice on the bottom but don’t let it burn!)… Remove paella from the fire cover with newspaper or butcher paper and let stand for 10 minutes.  Garnish with added lemon wedges and remaining parsley.  Serve directly from the pan with wooden spoons.