Paella. Photo by Liddie Martinez 

Video on how to prepare paella. Video by Liddie Martinez

By LIDDIE MARTINEZ
Española Valley

Paella is the national dish of Spain. The first time I ate paella was over twenty years ago in Seville, Spain. I traveled there to help do research on ancient acequias for a book that my friend was working on at the time. In its traditional form, it is a rice dish made with Spanish chorizo, rabbit and fresh seafood. The name is believed to have come from an old Arabic word meaning leftovers. I think that is a very appropriate name.

You can make this dish with any combination of protein and while the original version has both fish and meat, called paella mixta, you can also exclude one or the other in your version. Use only what you like. In Spain, you can find it made any number of ways and it really doesn’t matter because the rice is the star. Unlike other rice dishes, paella is made over an open flame uncovered so the type of rice you use is important. The best rice is Bomba or Paella Rice from Spain. It is a short, rounded grain that is ultra-absorbent and will keep its shape rather than turning into a lump of mush. It is easy to find this rice in many markets and can also be ordered online. You will also need saffron and smoked paprika for an authentic flavor and those you likely will need to get online. The saffron is pricey – I bought a few grams online and it cost $30 for a small tin. But a little goes a very long way so, unless you plan to make paella all summer (which isn’t a bad idea), get the smallest quantity available.

I know, this already sounds like a lot of work. It’s not too bad if you plan well. Source those ingredients that you know will take time to arrive first. Then, the day before you make the dish, plan for an hour of prep time. You will be chopping. Make sure that all the ingredients are chopped to the same size so that they will cook evenly. Some recipes call for sofrito but we are making ours on the fly. What is sofrito? Sofrito is very similar to a mirepoix or combination of aromatics such as onions, garlic and peppers. That is what we will use in this recipe along with tomatoes and mushrooms. They will all be gently sautéed together and that is the base of flavor for the dish. Sofrito is the same combination made in large batches and kept in the refrigerator to use for a multitude of dishes throughout the 2 weeks that it will last refrigerated. It cuts cooking time to have it prepared and on hand, but you have to cook quite a bit to use it all before it loses its freshness. We will make it as part of this recipe from scratch.

Another traditional ingredient is Spanish chorizo. I had to substitute the chorizo for Italian sausage for my video because I made it the weekend of Superbowl and all the sausage space at the butcher was taken up by Brats and Sweet Italian Sausage. I should have added a little Chimayo Red when I added the paprika but I didn’t think of it until later. If you want a little kick- add a tablespoon of red chile then. Also, I used two bone-in chicken thighs with skin because I wanted to build flavor, but I removed them from the pan and discarded skin and bones adding the perfectly cooked chicken pieces back into the pan.

I bought a paella pan because I have always wanted one, but you really don’t need special equipment. You can use a large frying pan without any fuss. If you don’t have a tight-fitting lid for it during the resting period, just use foil.

One final note, it is traditional to have the bottom of the paella toasty – it’s called socarrat and it takes practice to get it right without burning the dish. A note of caution: the dish will be delicious without the socarrat crust, but it won’t be edible if you cook it too long and burn it. When the full 23 minutes of cooking time is done, turn the heat up to high flame for exactly one minute. Then turn off the flame, remove from heat and cover pan to rest. Any fish you add at the end will finish cooking to perfection with the small bit of steam created when covered and the rice will finish absorbing the remaining liquid. Don’t skip the resting time and whatever you do, don’t stir the rice once it is added to the pan until it has rested and is ready to serve.

Ingredients

⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 bone-in chicken thighs
⅓ lb. chorizo or 2 sausage links, casings removed
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped red pepper
½ cup chopped mushrooms
3 plum tomatoes, peeled
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ – 1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 pinch saffron threads
3 cups liquid (chicken broth, white wine or water or a combination)
1 cup paella rice
12 shrimp, peeled & veined
6 scallops
6 mussels
Salt & Pepper to taste
2-3 fresh lemons
⅓ cup flat Italian Parsley or cilantro chopped for garnish

Scrub mussels and remove beards if still attached. Place in cold water and change water 2-3 times while preparing other ingredients. Keep in cold water until ready to use.

Over medium high heat warm paella pan or skillet and add oil. Season chicken pieces with salt & pepper and brown on both sides. Set aside. Brown sausage and set aside. Add onion, peppers and mushrooms to pan and sauté until onions are transparent then add tomatoes and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes until you can smell the garlic in the air. Add paprika and saffron and stir well. Add chicken pieces and sausage to the pan then add the liquid. Slowly and evenly sprinkle rice into the liquid. When the rice comes to a boil reduce the heat to medium and set the timer for 18 minutes. When the timer goes off, add the seafood spreading it evenly throughout the pan. Once the pan comes back up to a boil, set timer for 5 minutes. When the timer goes off, increase flame to high and time for exactly one minute. You should hear popping. Turn off flame, remove from heat and cover with a tight-fitting lid or foil. Allow the paella to rest for 10-12 minutes. Serve hot with a lemon wedge and parsley or cilantro garnish, if desired.

Serves 6.