Paella Mixta

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In Valencia, paella is cooked over an open fire, tended to by a cadre of men who fuel the flame with orange-tree branches and pinecones to infuse the rice with a woodsy aroma. It all sounds terribly romantic. And terribly impractical to try at home. (Who has access to a cadre of fire-stoking men and an orange tree?)

But with a few tweaks that harness the power of a backyard grill, you too can make the perfect paella—smoky and savory with a nice socarrat, that prized layer of crisp, charred rice on the bottom.

The word "paella" refers to the pan it's traditionally cooked in. But don't get too caught up in tradition. Better to cook the chicken and shrimp independently, directly on the grill. You'll have greater control over doneness and, added back to the pan, they infuse the rice with smoky flavor.

As for that rice, look for Bomba, a Spanish short-grain variety that can absorb three times its volume in liquid without turning mushy or starchy. Don't overload the pan: The cooked rice should come up to about your first knuckle, lest you risk losing the precious socarrat. The ideal rice is crispy on the bottom and fluffy on top, not sticky—you're making paella here, not risotto.

But a good paella doesn't stand on rice alone. You'll also need to master the art of sofrito, the sauce at the base of paella (and hundreds of other Spanish dishes). Traditional versions involve braising finely diced onions, garlic and grated tomatoes in olive oil until they fall into sweet submission. Ours gets gentle heat from ñora chiles, plus a pinch of smoked paprika and saffron, too.

Once all the flavors have soaked into the rice, serve a bit of everything straight from the pan with a garlicky Catalan allioli on the side. Keep plenty of lemon wedges on hand to brighten things up.

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  • 6

Ingredients

  • For the Allioli:
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, preferably a light, fruity variety
  • 1 garlic clove, pounded into a paste
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • Salt, to taste
  • For the Paella:
  • 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt, to taste
  • 6 whole jumbo shrimp (with heads and tails)
  • 6 ounces dry-cured Spanish chorizo, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
  • 1 medium Spanish onion, finely diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 medium tomatoes, grated using a box grater
  • 2 dried ñora chile peppers, stemmed, seeded and soaked in 1 cup boiling water
  • 2 teaspoons hot smoked paprika (pimentón picante)
  • 1 large pinch Spanish saffron threads, crumbled
  • 2 cups paella rice, preferably Bomba or Valencia
  • Salt, to taste
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock, preferably homemade
  • 1 pound mussels, scrubbed and debearded
  • 1/2 pound littleneck clams, scrubbed
  • 3 roasted piquillo peppers, torn into 1/2-inch-wide strips
  • For serving:
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 lemons cut into wedges (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

1. Make the allioli: Using a large whisk, beat the egg yolk. Very gradually drizzle in the oil, drop by drop in a steady stream, whisking constantly, until the mixture is well emulsified and becomes thick. Whisk in the garlic paste and lemon juice. Season with salt and set aside. Note: The allioli can be made a day ahead. Cover and chill in refrigerator then bring to room temperature before serving.

2. Make the paella: Prepare a medium-hot charcoal grill. While the grill is heating, season the chicken with salt and allow it to come to room temperature. Brush the grill grates with ¼ cup of the olive oil. Place the chicken skin-side-down on the grill and close the lid. Grill the chicken until golden brown and almost cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes. While the chicken is cooking, season the shrimp with salt and place on grill for about a minute on each side. Transfer the chicken and shrimp to a sheet tray and set aside.

3. Place a 15-inch paella pan on the grill. Once the pan is hot, add the chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chorizo starts to brown and the fat has rendered, about 10 minutes. Remove the chorizo using tongs or a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl.

4. Add the onions to the pan and cook, stirring often until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. If the pan seems dry, add the remaining olive oil. Add the tomatoes and hydrated ñora chile, along with its soaking liquid, and cook until the liquid has reduced and the vegetables have completely softened and melded together, about 12 minutes. Add chorizo back to the pan with the paprika and saffron and cook until fragrant, about a minute.

5. Add the rice and season with salt. Cook for 1 minute with the sofrito and chorizo. Add the stock, stir to combine and bring to a rapid boil, adding more charcoal to the fire as needed to maintain the temperature.

6. Bury the chicken thighs skin-side-up in the rice and cook, making sure not to stir from this point on, until the rice is tender but still al dente and the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes. Nestle the mussels, clams and shrimp in the rice. Cover and cook until the mussels and clams have opened up and the shrimp are cooked, about 5 minutes. Top with the roasted piquillo peppers and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

7. To serve, sprinkle parsley over the paella and serve with lemon wedges and allioli.

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