Rating
Suz’s Pretty Easy Paella
Click to rate this recipe!
[Total: 0 Average: 0]
After trying paella multiple times on a trip to Barcelona a couple of years ago (remember when travel used to be possible?), we wanted to be able to do the same at home. We even bought a paella pan since that seemed to be essential for success. The results of following ‘authentic’ recipes never seemed to end up with the results we wanted. It hardly seemed worth the effort to prep and clean the paella pan based on the results. Recently we wanted to try paella again – mainly because we had a great new spanish garnacha wine and wanted to pair it with the right meal. This time I did more reading on the techniques for paella, rather than the recipe or pan used. We ended up with the best paella we’ve had to date – including getting that elusive perfect socarrat (the browned rice bottom). This was without following any ‘authentic’ recipe and not using that paella pan that was so much trouble to maintain. If you have a good quality skillet (not saute pan) or a well seasoned cast iron skillet, it will work fine for this. The main ingredients for the recipe below are classic for a paella. Adjust and take liberties as needed to make it your own by adding other vegetables or by experimenting with different seafood or meat combinations. You’ll be impressing others with your paella expertise in no time. Just make sure you pair it with a good spanish wine!
Here is the one thing you need to know: The key is having the patience and faith in the process to NOT STIR THE RICE. I know. This is really hard to do. But trust me, the result is worth it.
Ingredients
1/2 white onion, diced
1/2 red or green bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato, diced
2 T olive oil
1/4 C white wine
1 T smoked paprika or sweet spanish paprika
pinch of saffron
1 1/2 C chicken stock
3/4 C short grain rice (spanish paella rice)
1/4 C frozen peas
6-10 spanish manzanilla olives, halved or sliced
fresh parsley, chopped
Protein of choice:
chorizo, chicken, seafood
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium heat.
>> If using raw chicken or sausage, brown the meat first in the olive oil, then remove to add later.
Add the onion & peppers to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes.
When soft, add the garlic and diced tomato for another minute.
Deglaze the pan with the white wine and bring to boil for 1 minute. Scrape up all browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
Add the paprika and saffron to the pan & stir well to combine.
>> Add any browned meat back to the pan at this point.
Stir in the chicken stock and bring to boil.
Add the rice by sprinkling evenly into the mixture. **You may stir with a spoon once at this point to make sure the rice is evenly distributed in the pan.**
Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and let it simmer uncovered for 15 minutes WITHOUT STIRRING.
You can shake the pan once or twice as it simmers, but do not stir.
Check the rice on top around the 15 minutes point for doneness. Add water if needed to continue cooking.
At 15 minutes, cover the rice and continue to simmer on low for 5 minutes. Rice should be chewy, al dente, but not crunchy or raw.
Remove the cover and check for doneness of the rice – it should be almost done at this point.
>> if you are adding shrimp or fish, or if you have pre-cooked chicken, add those to the top of the paella now.
Add the peas, sliced olives and parsley. Cover and continue on low heat for 5-10 minutes until seafood is cooked through or chicken is warm.
Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
Ready to serve!