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Paella for Entertaining

Equipment

  • large oven-safe pan with a lid (at least 14 inches across and 4 inches deep) for the paella
  • medium saucepan for making the sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 sweet onion
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1 large roasted red pepper
  • 2 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 pound Spanish chorizo
  • 12 ounces jumbo shrimp
  • 1/2 cup olive oil, divided (1 T for marinating the shrimp, 1 T for starting the sauce, and the remainder for sautéing the chicken)
  • 1 T smoked paprika, divided (½ t for marinating the shrimp, and the remainder for making the sauce)
  • 3 T tomato paste
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 8 ounces clam juice
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ t saffron threads
  • 3 cups uncooked Goya medium-grain white rice
  • 1 pound littleneck clams
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 bunch fresh parsley

Instructions

ADVANCE PREP

  • Prep the veg - Dice the onion, grate the garlic, and chop the roasted red pepper. Set aside.
  • Prep the chicken and chorizo; marinade the shrimp - Cut the chicken into large chunks. Lay out on a plate in a single layer. Salt and pepper generously. Set aside. Slice the chorizo into 1/4-inch slices, then cut each slice in half across, creating half moons. Set aside. Peel and devein the shrimp, then toss it with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, the smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon of oil, and 1 teaspoon of the grated garlic. Cover with plastic wrap and stash in the fridge.
  • Make the sauce - Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan. Add the remainder of the garlic to the pan and cook for about a minute. Stir in the tomato paste and remainder of the smoked paprika and cook for another minute or so, stirring constantly. Add the broth, clam juice, wine, bay leaves and saffron. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, remove the bay leaves, cover, and set aside.
  • Cook the chicken - Heat the remainder of the oil to the paella pan, add the chicken once the oil is shimmering, and cook until the chicken is browned on all sides. It doesn't need to be fully cooked. Remove the chicken from the pan and return to the plate. Cover.
  • Build the paella base - Add the onions and red pepper to the paella pan and cook until the onions are very soft. Add the chorizo and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat the rice. If not cooking right away, move off of the heat and cover.

WHEN READY TO COOK

  • Preheat the oven and assemble the paella - Preheat the oven to 375℉. Pour the sauce into the pan and stir to combine. Pat down the rice and smooth the top. Arrange the chicken on top of the rice around the perimeter of the pan. Push the clams into the rice mixture, hinge side down.
  • Bake the paella - Move the paella pan to the oven and bake, covered, for 20 minutes or so, until the rice is fully cooked. If the clams haven't popped open, turn the oven up to 400℉ and continue baking until the clams are cooked. Remove the lid, then arrange the shrimp and sprinkle the peas across the top. Cover the pan again and bake for 3-5 minutes longer. While the paella is baking, chop the parsley.
  • Finish - Remove the pan from the oven and let rest, covered, for ten minutes. Uncover and scatter the parsley over the dish, and serve.