~Amanda & Jackie~
This past weekend we went up to Vail to celebrate our Mom’s birthday. We stayed at the incredible Arrabelle hotel and our room had the most amazing gourmet kitchen; so we knew we had to take full advantage of it and make Mom the best birthday dinner. ever. Instead of limiting ourselves to a single meat or seafood, we decided to use many of our favorite meats and fresh seafood to make this super flavorful, delicious, and satisfying Seafood, Chorizo, and Chicken Paella. Paella is traditionally a Spanish dish prepared by simmering together chicken, seafood, rice, vegetables, saffron and other seasonings. It is one of the most popular global dishes and can be prepared in so many ways using a variety of ingredients; this was clearly the perfect dish for us to make because we wanted to use a variety of foods.
The seafood and protein we chose to use in this Paella were clams, shrimp, chorizo, and chicken thighs. We recently went to a Seafood cooking class in Denver and learned all about cooking a variety of seafood and different techniques. One of our favorite things we learned about were clams. These are something neither one of us had made before so we definitely wanted to include those in this dish. We added shrimp as well because they are so delicious and have a rich bold seafood flavor that stands up well to all the other strong flavors. Since Paella is a classic Spanish dish, chorizo is frequently used when making it and we love the bold and spicy flavors it brings in. And finally, chicken is a traditional meat used in paella and the slow cooking of these chicken thighs makes them so tender and juicy and they just fall apart in your mouth.
Paella is widely known for its incredible flavors, primarily the saffron. However, saffron is very expensive (at a price of $2,000 to $10,000 a pound, saffron is the most expensive food on earth, way more than truffles, caviar, and real balsamic vinegar)! So if you’re like us and just can’t justify buying saffron for just one meal, you can substitute a combination of turmeric and paprika and you will still end up with and incredibly tasty and colorful dish… we had no complaints about the flavor we got from those spices. In addition to the saffron (or turmeric and paprika), you are getting flavor and spice from the garlic, onions, more paprika, chorizo, and all the seafood. Your taste buds are going to be so happy!
If you are planning on making paella on a weekly basis it would be smart to invest in a paella pan, but if you are like us and will probably make it once a year then just use the largest flat skillet or cast iron pan you have. Now onto the preparation of the paella, which is surprisingly simple; you begin by cooking the shrimp, chorizo, and chicken in olive oil in a large pan; make sure you are using a very large pan with tall sides so you are able to fit all your ingredients in it. Once cooked, remove the shrimp (so it doesn’t overcook) and add in the paprika, garlic, tomatoes, and onion and cook until tender. Then add in the spices and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Once boiling, sprinkle the rice and peppers over the mixture and DO NOT STIR! You let the whole dish cook for about 15 minutes without touching it and the rice will slowly absorb the liquid. You then add the shrimp back in along with the clams and let it all cook together and you’re ready to eat! It’s served best with some fresh lemon juice over the top, a crisp arugula and lemon salad on the side, and a big glass of wine.
- 30 threads saffron (or substitute a combination of turmeric and paprika (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 6 boneless chicken thighs, seasoned with salt and pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined, seasoned with salt and pepper
- 1 pound chorizo, crumbled
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 medium tomatoes, minced
- 1 small onion, minced
- 7 cups chicken broth
- 2 1/2 cups short grain rice (valencia, abborio, etc)
- 2 red peppers, sliced in one inch strips
- 12 clams, cleaned thoroughly
- 2 lemons, for serving
- Combine saffron and 1/4 cup hot water in a bowl. Let sit for 15 minutes (if substituting spices, measure out and set aside with 1/4 cup hot water).
- Heat oil in a large pan over med-high heat (use a pan that's about 16"-18" with tall sides, so you're able to fit all your ingredients in it).
- Add the chicken, shrimp, and chorizo and cook until browned, turning occasionally. About 5 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside.
- Add the paprika, garlic, tomatoes, and onions to the pan with the meat. Cook until onions soften, about 8 minutes. Add the saffron mixture (or spices and 1/4 cup water) and chicken stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Sprinkle in the rice evenly and add the peppers. Do not stir. Cook for about 15 minutes until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid. Again, do not stir.
- Once most of the liquid has been absorbed, add the shrimp back in and place the clams hinge side down in the mixture. Cook about 10 more minutes until the clams have opened and the rice has absorbed the remaining liquid. Turn the heat to high for 1-2 minutes and let sit. Then remove the pan from the heat, cover with foil, and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Serve with fresh lemon juice and enjoy!
You ladies did it again. I have been looking for a good Paella recipe since having it in Spain. Even purchased a Paella pan, it needs to be used. I like the suggestion of ingredients to substitute the saffron since that is an expensive and hard to find spice. Thanks Amanda and Jackie.