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
1sweet onion
6clovesgarlic
1largeroasted red pepper
2skinless, boneless chicken thighs
salt and pepper
1poundSpanish chorizo
12ouncesjumbo shrimp
1/2cupolive oil, divided(1 T for marinating the shrimp, 1 T for starting the sauce, and the remainder for sautéing the chicken)
1Tsmoked paprika, divided(½ t for marinating the shrimp, and the remainder for making the sauce)
3Ttomato paste
4cupschicken broth
8ouncesclam juice
½cupdry white wine
2bay leaves
½tsaffron threads
3cupsuncooked Goya medium-grain white rice
1poundlittleneck clams
1cupfrozen peas
1bunchfresh 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 paellabase - 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.