Disclosure: This is my first attempt at Paella, but it turned out great. I’m a huge fan of this dish since it’s similar to dishes from my childhood in Portugal. I received the pan and the base kit for my birthday this summer and I can’t wait to make it again. The basic concept of Paella is to cook several items in a large pan with rice. Most paella recipes call for various seafood items but I only used clams and shrimp for simplicity and affordability. Feel free to experiment and make it your own.
Needs:
- 1 large Paella pan or large skillet
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 bunch of scallions
- 1 cup of parsley
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 1 large onion
- 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 links of Spanish sausage or chorizo
- 1 jar of roasted red peppers
- 1-2 pounds of clams
- 1-2 pounds of shrimp
- pinch of saffron
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 lemon
- 1 cup of rice per person
- 1 1/2 cup of clam or fish stock per cup of rice
- 10 minutes prep time
- 1 hour cooking time
- Serves 8-10
Step 1: The Prep
- Dice the onion and scallions
- Finely dice the garlic
- Chop the parsley and tomatoes
- Set aside half of the garlic and parsley
- Cut the sausage into bite sized pieces
- Slice the lemon in wedges
- Heat the stock in a sauce pan
Step 2: The Grind
- Put the garlic, parsley, salt into a mortar and pestle
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- Grind until a paste forms
- If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, use the back of a spoon in a bowl
Step 3: Put it all in the pan
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan
- Heat the pan on medium heat
- Add the onions, scallions, and sausage
- Cook for 5 minutes until onions clarify and sausage starts to cook off its fat
- Add roasted red peppers and cook for a few more minutes
- Add the stock and stir
- Add the rice and stir
- Add the saffron and stir
- Cook for 10 minutes
- Add the parsley and garlic paste and stir
- Add the shrimp and clams
- Arrange the clams with the opening facing upwards
- They will open when done
Step 4: Cooking the rice
- This is the trickiest part since the rice will absorb the liquid but you have to be patient
- You might have to add more liquid if the rice hasn’t fully cooked, so keep your eye on it
- Don’t stir the paella at this point
- Don’t worry too much about burning the rice, the crunchy bottom is the best part
- Cook until the rice is done and the liquid is mostly absorbed
- This might take 30-40 minutes
- Top with the rest of the parsley
- Add the lemons
- Make sure there’s at least 3 clams and shrimp per serving
- Enjoy with some Spanish white wine or a nice Pinot Noir
- My fabulous wife even made flan pudding!
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