PERFECT PAELLA
You'll never believe how easy it is to make Paella, all in about 30 minutes! A dinner filled with clams, shrimp & chorizo & served over saffron rice.
Servings: 4 -6 servings
Ingredients
- 18 clams pre-soaked for 20 minutes
- 6 oz Spanish chorizo, some cut in cubes & some in slices
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- ½ cup red bell pepper, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon pimentón or sweet smoked paprika
- 1 generous pinch saffron threads,, about ½ teaspoon
- 2 medium ripe tomatoes skinned and chopped small
- 2 cups paella rice (Arborio works well too)
- 3 cups chicken stock or 4 cups stock & no wine
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 lb. shrimp, peeled & deveined (tails on)
- 2 Tablespoons parsley
- 2 lemons, cut in wedges
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prior to starting dish, place clams in cool tap water and let sit for 20 minutes to 1 hour to purge sand. When ready to use, lift each one out individually and scrub outside. They are then ready to cook.
- Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chorizo and cook for 4 minutes. Remove chorizo but keep rendered fat in pan. Add onion and red pepper and cook until soft & translucent. Add garlic, pimentón or paprika and saffron and cook about 30 seconds.
- Add chopped tomatoes and continue cooking for 3 minutes. Stir in rice. Add chicken stock, white wine, peas and chorizo, stirring together but leaving chorizo closer to top. Add bay leaves to top. DO NOT STIR.
- Bring to boiling, turn down, cover and simmer for 12 minutes. Add shrimp, tails up, and clams, hinge side down, then cover again and cook for another 5-10 minutes or until clams have opened.
- Remove from heat and let sit covered for another 5 minutes to allow rice to finish steaming. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with wedges of lemon.
- Adjust seasoning if necessary.
