Paella

The key to making a good paella is the broth, the rice and the pot.  I bought a huge pot for the evening. 

This paella was delicious.  I could have made it again the next night.  This recipe serves 8 people with literally not a drop left.  Making it for 6 is probably fine.

3 cups of chicken broth
2 cups clam juice
large pinch of saffron ( use a little more than you think)

Take the above and bring to a boil in a covered sauce pan. Then set aside, with the top on until cooled.

2 large vidallia onions chopped
one red pepper chopped into pieces
one green pepper chopped into pieces
one yellow pepper chopped into piece
8 italian tomatoes chopped into pieces (make sure to squeeze the juice out before chopped)
Large piece of chorizo cut into round pieces (about 3/4  lb.)
3 chicken legs, 3 chicken thighs
3/4 lb of large shrimp completely unpeeled including the tail
1/2 lb of clams (about 8 or more if you really like clams)
1/2 lb of mussels
2 1 1/2 lbs. lobster already cracked (get your fishmonger to crack the claws and body for you – makes life easier because they are still alive)
1 lb. aborrio rice
1 lb. peas ( I actually used 1 lb. edaname which you could do too)

Take a large deep pot and cover the bottom with olive oil.  When hot, put in the chorizo.  Cook for a few minutes until the chorizo crispy.  Take all of the chorizo out with a slotted spoon and set aside. 

Add the chicken pieces and cover the top because the oil will splatter.  After a few minutes, take off the top and turn the chicken. The chicken should take about 5-7 minutes.  Don’t cook it completely because the chicken will continue to cook when you take it out of the pot.  Also, you are going to put the chicken back in at one point.

Add the onions and peppers and saute on a medium heat until softened.  About 5 minutes.  Then add the rice and continue to saute for about 1 minute or so to incorporate the rice.  Take the chicken broth/clam juice mixture that you set aside and measure out 4 cups.  Pour this amount over the rice and vegetables and bring to a boil.  Once the liquid begins to boil, turn down to low to medium (simmer) and cover.  Let this hang for about 10 minutes but take a peek from time to time so the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom.

In a separate large sauce pan pour in the rest of the liquid and bring to a boil then bring down to medium heat.  Add the clams and cover.  I used a cover that was glass so I could watch what was happening.  When the clams opened, I immediately removed them from the pot.  Then do that with the mussels.  Then do it with the lobster but leave it in the broth.  The lobster should only take about 3 minutes.  Now all the seafood is cooked. 

Open up the paella pot and add the tomatoes and peas and stir until completely incorporated.  Now put all the seafood in, including the liquid that was used with the lobster.  Also, add in the chicken.  Stir everything around put the top back on or even turn up the heat and let the rest of the liquid boil down with the top off.  This will finish off the chicken and rice.

Voila.  Sounds hard but actually it is quite easy just a lot of steps. Don’t expect any left overs.