Paella!

For five years now Sam has been asking me to make paella. He had it while serving a mission for our church in Argentina. I have always wanted to attempt it but since I have never personally tasted it before I had no idea what I was doing. After researching and researching I decided to surprise him for Father's Day. I bought a paella pan and enlisted my Mom's help for things like saffron, scallops, and shrimp. It was a great dinner. I will definitely make it again. The thing I love about this dish is it so customizable. Next time I am going to try chicken thighs, chorizo, and shrimp. Plus it is a fun dish to eat. Traditionally you sit around the table and just eat right out of the pan.

Paella

adapted from Tyler Florence 

Ingredients

Spice Mix for chicken, recipe follows
2-3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut in large chunks.
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Spanish chorizo sausages, thickly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 small onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
Bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped, reserve some for garnish
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
4 cups short grain bomba rice
2 Tbs. chicken bouillon
6 cups water, warm
Generous pinch saffron threads
1 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed
1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined

Directions

Rub the spice mix all over the chicken and marinate chicken for 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Heat oil in a paella pan over medium-high heat. Saute the chorizo until browned, remove and reserve. Add chicken  and brown on all sides, turning with tongs. Add salt and freshly ground pepper. Remove from pan and reserve.

In the same pan, make a sofrito by sauteing the onions, garlic, and parsley. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes on a medium heat. Then, add tomatoes and tomato sauce and cook until the mixture caramelizes a bit and the flavors meld. Fold in the rice and stir-fry to coat the grains. Pour in water and simmer for 10 minutes, gently moving the pan around so the rice cooks evenly and absorbs the liquid. Add chicken, chorizo, and saffron. Add the clams and shrimp, tucking them into the rice. The shrimp will take about 8 minutes to cook. Give the paella a good shake and let it simmer, without stirring, until the rice is al dente, for about 15 minutes. When the paella is cooked and the rice looks fluffy and moist, turn the heat up for 40 seconds until you can smell the rice toast at the bottom, then it's perfect.



Remove from heat and rest for 5 minutes.

Spice Mix for chicken:

1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken; marinate for 1 hour, covered