Spanish Paella

Recipes

Feb 21

This is a traditional dish you can find anywhere in Spain. Paellas there differ depending on the region and which ingredients are readily available. Some can be made with more seafood and some are completely vegetarian. This is a simple recipe that I love. It comes straight from a village in northern Spain, where I lived for a short time.

You will need a large frying pan or skillet to make this; we used the Rock frying pan. Of course the best option would be a traditional "paellera" (paella pan).

Serves: 4, Prep time: 20 mins, Cook time: 30-40 mins Total time: 1 hr

Ingredients

Paella

1.5 c paella rice (pearl grain)

1/4 c olive oil

3 1/2 cups chicken or shrimp stock

2 chicken thighs, deboned and cut into bite size pieces

12 pieces of shrimps

1/2 c green pepper, chopped

1/2 cup red pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

4-6 cloves garlic, minced (1-2 tbsp)

1 roma tomato, diced

1 tsp salt, may need more to taste

1/4 tsp saffron

Directions

If your shrimp are whole, start by peeling them. Put the heads, tails, and skin in a small pot with 3 cups of water. Cover and bring to a boil. Then let simmer until needed. This will be used as shrimp stock for the rice. If you prefer chicken flavour, than you can also use chicken broth.

In a large skillet or paella pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil on high heat. Add the chicken pieces and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir and cooked through. Remove the chicken and add the raw shrimp. Still on high heat, cook these for about a minute or until they have colour. Set aside with chicken.

Add the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, peppers, and onions. Saute for 5-10 minutes until well done and aromatic. Add the garlic and saute for 30 more seconds. Then add the diced tomato and stir. Lower heat to medium high and add the chicken and shrimp, remaining salt and saffron. Then stir in the rice and add the 3 1/2 cups of shrimp stock or chicken broth. Although we did not, you can also add a pinch of turmeric to create a more yellow colour. It doesn’t affect the taste, but looks traditional.

Let it cook for 20-30 minutes until rice is cooked and the bottom has developed a “socorrat”, the crusty caramelized bottom of the dish. You may need to stir it while cooking, but it is best to leave it alone if possible. Taste during cooking, and add more salt or broth as needed.

Serve immediately when finished and enjoy!