AARP - Segunda Juventud

Paella
Courtesy of Chef Annette Gallardo, South Bay School of Cooking, Redondo Beach, California

By Katharine A. Díaz
June/July 2006

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Choosing a Culinary Vacation

cochinita pibil

gambas con limón

leg of lamb caribe style

crepas de cuitlacoche

hongos a la mexicana

Serves 8-10

For the Seafood Fumet

1 cup dry white sherry

1 quart fish stock

1 bay leaf

Shrimp shells (from paella ingredients below)

½-1 teaspoon saffron threads (measure loosely)

Place white wine and fish stock in large pot with bay leaf and bring to a boil. Add shrimp shells, simmering until shells turn pink. Strain out shells and return stock to pot; simmer another 10 minutes. Turn off heat and add saffron to allow to bloom.

For the Paella

1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined, tail on (save shrimp shells for fumet above)

6-8 ounces Spanish chorizo, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces

Olive oil

1½ lb. chicken pieces, bone in (thighs are best)

2 medium onions, peeled and sliced

2 cups short-grain Spanish rice or arborio rice

5 garlic cloves, sliced thin

1 bunch green onions, sliced

2 arbol chilies, crushed

1/2 teaspoon Spanish paprika

1/2 bunch parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

8-10 clams or mussels, scrubbed (discard dead ones)

1 cup green Spanish olives, with pits

1 red bell pepper, roasted, skin and seeds removed, sliced into strips

1 cup frozen peas

Parsley and lemon wedges for garnish

Peel shrimp, saving shells for fumet. Place shrimp in refrigerator while making fumet.

Heat a large 14-inch paella pan to medium heat and add chorizo, cooking until just browned; remove. Leave rendered chorizo fat in pan and add olive oil if necessary. Add chicken and brown on all sides. Remove and set aside.

Add sliced onion, and cook for a few minutes (do not brown), adding more oil if necessary. Stir in rice and continue stirring until grains turn white. Add garlic, green onions, arbol chilies, paprika, and parsley and sauté until fragrant (less than a minute).

Add enough seafood fumet until rice is covered by about 3/4 of an inch of liquid, and stir until liquid deglazes the bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring just to a boil, then turn down heat and cook at medium heat for about 10 minutes.

Add salt and pepper and stir. Return chicken with juices and sausage to pan, pushing chicken down into rice. Cook covered with lid or foil for about 10 minutes.

Add shrimp, clams (or mussels), and olives, pushing them down into rice. Make sure clams are slit side up. Place sliced bell peppers around pan and cook until liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with peas and parsley. Sprinkle with peas, and parsley.

Let rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with more parsley and lemon wedges.

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