Paella a la Valenciana

By t1bishop

This is the basic recipe I share with others when asked how to make a paella. After having made paellas for many years, you get your own style and the ingredients vary with what is on the market. The most important ingredients - the rice and Spanish paprika should never be substituted. Long grain rice or risotto just do not work. There are many varieties of paellas: vegetarian, only seafood, only meat, etc. You can make it as unique or adventurous as you like.

Ingredients

• 6 cups very strong chicken broth (bouillon)
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron (ROLAND powder found at Harry'S Farmer's Market)
• 1/4 teaspoon pimenton(Spanish smoked paprika)
• • 1 small onion, peeled
• • 2 small chickens, about 2 1/2 each
• • coarse salt
• • 1/2 cup olive oil
• • 1/4 pound cooking Spanish chorizo sausage, in 1/4 inch slices
• • 1/4 pound piece jamon serrano, diced
• • 1 medium onion, chopped
• • 4 scallions chopped
• • 4 tbs. chopped garlic
• • 2 roasted piguillo peppers
• • 1 pound small or medium shrimp, shelled
• • 2 live lobsters, boiled, split and divided into tail sections and claws (discard or keep the head and small claws); or 4 lobsters tails, split lengthwise; or 8 king crab
• claws; or 8 jumbo shrimp, in their shells
• • 3 cups Bomba rice (or Mahatma VALENCIA rice found at Publix)
• • 5 tablespoons chopped parsley
• • 1/2 cup dry white wine
• • 1/4 pound fresh or frozen peas
• • 18 clams and/or mussels, scrubbed
• • lemon wedges for garnish
• • parsley for garnish

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heat the broth with the saffron, pimenton and the whole onion. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.
2. Remove the onion and measure the broth - you need exactly 5 1/2 cups.
3. Cut the chickens into small serving pieces- the whole breast in 4 parts, each thigh into 2 parts, the bony tip of the leg chopped off, the wing tip discarded, and the rest of the wing separated into 2 parts. Dry the pieces well and sprinkle with salt. (I
just use chicken wing drums for ease and they are juicier).
4. In a metal Paella pan, with about a 15 inch base, heat the oil. Add the chicken pieces and fry over high heat until golden. Remove to a warm platter.
5. Add the chorizo, and jamen to the pan and stir fry about 10 minutes.
6. Add the chopped onion, scallions, garlic, and pimientos and saute until the onion is wilted.
7. Add the shrimp and the lobster and saute about 3 minutes more, or until the shrimp and lobster barely turn pink (the lobster will cook more in the oven).
Remove the shrimp and lobster to the platter with the chicken.
8. Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat it well with the oil. Sprinkle in the 5 tablespoon chopped parsley. (You can make in advance up to this point.)
9. Stir in the chicken broth, boiling hot, the wine, rice, and peas. Salt to taste.
10. Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat about 10 minutes.
11. Bury the shrimp and the chicken in the rice. Add the clams and the mussels, pushing them into the rice, with the edge that will open facing up.
12. Decorate the paella with the lobster pieces and bake at 325 F, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
13. Remove from the oven and let sit on top of the stove, lightly covered with foil, for about 1o minutes.
To serve, decorate with lemon wedges and chopped parsley. Lobster can be a little expensive, so replace it with a comparable amount of shrimp if you wish.
Serve with simple salad and crusty bread.