We made this paella on a warm summer evening with friends to celebrate life and watch the Perseid meteor shower. Unfortunately clouds drifted in and obscured the meteors, but the paella was excellent.

paella

Serves 20

Ingredients

  • 8 bone-in chicken thighs, hacked in half with a cleaver
  • 12 chicken drumsticks
  • 2.5 pounds live mussels (about 40 or so) scrubbed and de-bearded
  • 2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined. Toss with salt and pepper.
  • 5 fresh chorizo links (a little over a pound) sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 Spanish onions, chopped fine
  • 8 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 28 oz. cans of whole tomatoes (such as San Marzano) chopped
  • 2 red bell peppers, sliced into strips
  • 2 Kgs (4.4 pounds) paella rice (such as Calasparra)
  • 16 cups chicken stock
  • 2 cups dry white wine
  • Large pinch saffron threads
  • 1/2 cup or so smoked paprika
  • Kosher salt
  • Pepper
  • Several sprigs fresh rosemary

To Serve

  • Lemon wedges
  • Chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • Green peas

Method

  1. Sprinkle the chicken parts liberally with salt and pepper
  2. Heat the stock and wine on the stove and keep at a simmer
  3. Heat a 26 inch paella pan over a wood fire until good and hot
  4. Put the saffron in a foil packet and toast on the hot pan, about 30 seconds per side. Set aside.
  5. Dump in a lot of olive oil – enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Don’t skimp!
  6. Brown the chicken and chorizo well on both sides, about 10 minutes for the chorizo and 15 minutes for the chicken. Set aside on a half sheet pan.
  7. Add the onions to the pan and sauté until translucent and beginning to brown
  8. Add the peppers, tomatoes, and garlic and stir
  9. Add the toasted saffron to the pan, crumbling between your thumb and fingers
  10. Add the smoked paprika
  11. Stir everything together and cook for about 5 minutes
  12. Add the hot wine/stock and return to a vigorous simmer
  13. Return the chicken to the pan, evenly distributing
  14. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
  15. Add the rice – pour down the middle from one end of the pan to another. Repeat to make a cross of rice through the center of the pan. Use a spatula to spread the rice evenly throughout the pan.
  16. This is your last chance to add seasoning – if you think you need more salt and pepper, paprika, et cetera add it now.
  17. DO NOT STIR THE RICE FROM THIS POINT ONWARD!
  18. Let cook about 10 minutes
  19. Add the mussels, shrimp, and cooked chorizo to the pan, pushing down into the rice
  20. Cook about another 15 minutes until the liquid is fully absorbed, the mussels have opened, and the rice develops a nice soccarat (crust) on the bottom. Not that you’ll know, since you MUST NOT STIR THE RICE. If you smell something burning, pull the paella off immediately.
  21. Remove the pan from the fire, add the rosemary sprigs, and cover with foil
  22. Let rest 10 minutes.
  23. Scatter the fresh parsley over the top.
  24. Have everyone serve themselves straight from the pan, working from the outside in towards the center and making sure to scrape up some of the good soccarat with each serving.
  25. Add peas to individual servings and squeeze lemon to taste.
  26. Serve outdoors with a good Spanish wine, accompanied by friends, their children, and any neighbors who happen to show up

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