Perfect Paella

By shauna

Spanish Bomba rice from Calasparra is the most authentic choice for paella, but can be difficult to find. Italian short-grain Arborio is an excellent substitute.

Ingredients

• 1 Whole Garlic Bulb, intact, plus 3 cloves garlic, sliced & reserved.
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil, plus a drizzle
• 3 1/2 C. Chicken Stock
• 1/2 tsp. Saffron Threads
• Pinch Of Sea Salt, plus 1/2 tsp.
• 4-6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
• 2 Raw Chorizo Sausages, casings removed & roughly chopped
• 1 Sm. Onion, minced
• 1 Lg. Red Bell Pepper, cored & sliced into strips
• 1 Lg. Tomato, halved then grated down to skins, peel discarded
• 1 1/2 C. Arborio Rice
• 1 tsp. Smoked Paprika
• 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
• 12 Raw Lg. Shrimp, peeled & deveined, tails on
• 2 Tbsp. Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley, chopped

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350. Slice 3/4" off the top of garlic bulb, place bulb on piece of tin foil, drizzle with olive oil, tightly wrap with foil & roast 40 min. When done, set aside. In saucepan, bring stock to a boil, then reduce & simmer. In a sm measuring cup, crush saffron with pinch of salt, grinding with a spoon, then add 1/2 C. of hot stock. Stir, then let steep for a few min before adding back to pot of stock. Remove stock from heat. In a 13" or 14" paella pan (or other ovenproof pan), heat oil on med-high. Add chicken; sauté about 5 min. Add chorizo; cook till meats are well-browned, about 3-4 min (meats do not have to be cooked through at this point). Remove meats from pan; set aside. Lower heat to med & add onion & red pepper to pan; sauté till softened, about 5 min. Add tomato & 2 cloves garlic, sliced; cook another 5 min. Add rice to pan & stir to coat all grains with oil & juices. Add paprika & 1/2 tsp. salt, stir to combine. Add meat back to pan, spreading vegetables & meats evenly around pan. Pat mixture into pan to evenly cover bottom. Increase heat to med-high & add 3 C. of chicken stock (reserving 1/2 C). Unwrap roasted garlic bulb & place in middle of pan. Do not stir! Let stock come to a boil, then carefully transfer pan, uncovered to oven & cook about 20-30 min, or till rice is tender & no liquid remains. If rice is not done but no liquid is left, add reserved stock & cook another 7-10 min. Check to see if a crust has formed at the bottom of the pan by gently pulling at the edge with a fork. If not done, place pan over med heat for a few min, watching carefully that crust develops but doesn't form. Just before paella is finished, sauté shrimp over med-high heat in a drizzle of olive oil with final sliced garlic clove, & a sprinkle of salt & pepper, till shrimp turns pink. Distribute around top of finished paella. Fluff rice with fork, garnish with chopped parsley, & bring to the table. Warn guests the pan is hot, but let them serve themselves, making sure to scrape up the crispy crust & to squeeze some roasted garlic overtop.