I sent out some pictures of a recent paella dinner to a few selected friends last week and received an overwhelming response. So...I'm sharing the recipe and some tips with everyone! This recipe came to us from Jodie Ray so you can thank her, as well.
First, let's talk equipment. We use a 15" diameter paella pan. It makes enough for 8 people (depending on appetites). As previously discussed, paella (like barbeque) must be cooked OUTSIDE for best results. You can use a Weber or whatever pit you have but please bear in mind the pan must sit directly on the coals. Or you can just build a fire on the ground like we do over there. I use one of those chimney-style charcoal starters that holds a little over half an 8 lb. bag. Even though the cooking time is around 45 minutes, that's plenty of charcoal. Please make sure the charcoal is white before spreading it as evenly as possible on the bottom of the pit as to avoid hot-spots.
PREPARATION
The prep is really the most time consuming part of the recipe but it's not as daunting as it looks. In Catalunya, almost all paella is the seafood style. Farther south, they use more sausage and meat. Squid is used a lot in Catalunya but we prefer octopus (pulpo). It tastes better and makes a more dramatic presentation. Go to Central Market and buy a 2-3 lb. Spanish pulpo. They usually come frozen so allow it to thaw for a day in the fridge. The night before you cook the paella, wash it in cool water and cut it into one and a half inch pieces (scissors work best). These will shrink down to bite size. Discard the stringy ends of the tentacles and the beak. Coat the pieces in olive oil and then powder them thoroughly with garlic powder and smoked Spanish paprika. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Put the pulpo in a baking pan and cover with foil. It will take about 45 min. to an hour to cook. Start tasting at 45 min. The pulpo should be only slightly chewy but not tough. When done, put it in a covered bowl and refrigerate.
We usually cook the chicken the night before, too. With boneless thighs, the cooking time is about the same as the pulpo so you can put them in the oven at the same time. When done, chop them into bite size pieces and refrigerate.
You can marinate the shrimp, also. I've never been served a peeled shrimp in Spain. It just depends on how autentico you want your paella to look. We peel ours because it makes less of a mess on the table. This may change.
The night before prep differs from the Spanish method. Over there, they just dump all the meat in at the beginning and hope for the best. It's very difficult to manage optimal cooking of the different meats that way. That's one of many reasons I don't recommend buying paella in Spanish restaurants. Very few restaurants will take the trouble to cook it properly and those that do usually require a day's notice.
While you're waiting for the pulpo and chicken to cook, you can chop your vegetables and assemble the saffron mixture. That way, you'll be able to hang out with your friends/family while the paella is cooking. I set up a table next to the pit and have everything lined up in the sequence it needs to go in so I don't forget anything. The Spanish always drink beer while cooking paella. It's compulsory.
SEQUENCE
Once you have all the ingredients prepared and the fire laid, here's how to cook:
1) Put the pan on the coals and allow it to heat. Add 2 tbsp. Spanish extra virgin olive oil (always use Spanish so I don't have to say this again). When the oil is hot, stir fry the veggies (onion, bell pepper, fennel, celery, carrots). Make sure you keep them moving.
2) When the veggies get tender, add the rice and keep stirring.
3) Fry the rice for 3 min. and then add the pimento, tomato puree and saffron mixture while continuing to stir. You can add a little more oil. Basically, you want to fry the rice for another 4 min. while making sure it doesn't stick.
4) Add 4 cups of broth and stir occasionally for 4 min. so it doesn't stick.
5) Add the pulpo, chicken and peas. Gently stir so they are uniformly distributed in the pan. This will be your FINAL STIR!
6) Uniformly distribute the shrimp (including marinade) and lobster on top of the paella.
7) Lightly cover with foil and allow to cook for 10 min. and ask your helper to turn the mussel pot up to medium high.
8) Taste the rice. It should be starting to get tender. This is the tricky part. You want the rice to be done but not gummy. You may need to drizzle another cup of broth in if it's still too al dente and the pan is not steaming.
9) The shrimp and lobster should be done by now. Just keep an eye on the rice and leave the foil on.
10) At this point, ask your helper to dump the mussels in the boiling pot. They should cook just a few minutes after they open.
You can arrange the mussels on top of the paella or serve them on the side. You can dip your baguette in the mussel sauce or even drizzle it on the paella if it needs any moisture. Please put a couple of bowls on the table for discarded mussel/shrimp shells. Paella is best when really hot so smaller servings are good. You can put the pan in a 200 F oven for people who may want seconds.
In Catalunya, red wine is always served with paella so make sure you have a few cases of Celler D. Russell Smith on hand. ¡BUEN PROVECHO!
INGREDIENTS
For Shrimp Marinade: 1 chopped garlic clove
1 small onion chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
For Saffron Mixture: 1/2 tsp saffron
1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/2 cup Spanish brandy
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp smoked Spanish paprika
1/4 cup olive oil
Puree these together in a food processor the night before.
Meat: 3 cups chicken thighs
2-3 lbs. pulpo
1 1/2 lbs. shrimp
4 large lobster tails cut into quarters
1 bag mussels
Veggies: 1 cup onion
1 cup bell pepper
1 cup fennel root
1 cup celery
1 cup carrots
All the above should be diced
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup pimento
Rice: 2 cups Basmati. Please don't use "perla" or paella rice because they almost always end up
gummy.
Other: 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock. Don't buy the unsalted. This is probably more than you'll
need but it's best to have it on hand.
1 15 oz. can tomato puree
1 btl. olive oil
Mussel Broth: 1/2 large onion chopped
1 clove chopped garlic
All but 3 tbsp of the can of tomato puree
2 cups white wine
1 cup stock
2 cups water
salt to taste
Saute the onion and garlic. Then add the rest and bring to a boil for 5 min. to blow off the alcohol. Allow to simmer covered until before you add the mussels. Check each mussel to make sure it's
still closed before you put it in the pot. Live mussels should never be stored in a closed plastic bag!
