Paella for Mike's birthday...

Saffron

Paella is a Spanish dish that is infused with he delicious but expensive, hand picked stamen of a flower, saffron. Smoked sweet Spanish paprika also adds to the aroma and is also found in the Spanish chorizo that I use in this recipe. Wonderful flavors of  woods and sea are blended to make this a very special one pan meal. The word paella has origins in the Latin word for pan, patella. Today the paella pan is a distinctive shaped cooking vessel that is used to make the dish, Paella.  You could buy the special paella pan, but  just I use my 16 inch saute pan as my paella pan and it works just fine, thank you.


The kids usually get a special dinner for their birthday. This year we are doing "paella mixta" a combo of chicken and seafood. Paella was originally a rice dish from Valencia, Spain made with rabbit, chicken and snails. A seafood paella eventually came about along with a clam, mussels and shrimp base. The "mixed paella" is a combination of proteins, mine is mostly seafood with some chicken. I use skinless thighs cut into chunks.

The rice used for making paella is distinctive as well. A more round shape distinguishes "Bomba" rice from other types. Arborio rice, the Italian rice we use for risotto, will work just as well as the Valenciana Bomba variety, which is harder to find unless you go to ethnic grocery stores. The variety I
used in this recipe is labeled "Valencia style".

Valencia rice, Spanish chorizo and the most expensive ingredient, Saffron.

Fresh seafood rules the day with this dish, if you are going to put in he effort, you should try for the freshest ingredients, the only thing I use that is frozen is the peas.

Gather your ingredients:

5 cups simmering chicken stock
1 large onion diced
4 cloves garlic, mashed
Fresh rosemary
2 plum tomatoes, diced 
1/2 teaspoon saffron
2 teaspoons smoked sweet Spanish paprika
5 strips roasted red pepper
1 Spanish chorizo large diced (Spanish, not Mexican, there's a big difference!)
4 chicken thighs cut into chunks
1 lb. cod, cut into 2" portions
6 live clams, scrubbed
12 live mussels scrubbed and de-bearded
6 to 12 shrimp or prawns deveined
6 - 2" pieces of firm white fleshed fish (cod)
4 small lobster tails split lengthwise
4 cups bomba rice
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper


Put your saffron in the simmering stock to steep, it will turn the stock a rich yellow tint..

Heat the olive oil, salt and pepper the chicken, add your chicken to the pan to brown. When chicken is browned, remove from pan and set aside.



Add onions, tomato and garlic and saute until onion is opaque, around 5 minutes.






Add the chorizo, cook for another 3 minutes, add the stock and saffron, bring to a simmer.







Return the chicken to the pan and stir in the smoked Spanish paprika
and add the rice. 

Valencian tradition calls for making a cross with the rice in a tribute to Christ.
 

Stir the rice into the stock and add the cod...

...Add the mussels and clams...

 Add the prawns...

...The peas and sprig of rosemary...

...And the roasted red pepper...

,,,And finally, the lobster tails!

Cook uncovered, gently for about 20 minutes more until clams are open the lobster meat is cooked and the liquid is absorbed by he rice.

You could put the paella in a pre-heated 350° oven for the final cooking. Tradition minded Spaniards cook paella over a wood fire, I use the stove top, but a hot oven will also do the job..

¡Delicioso!