Chicken and Shellfish Paella with Saffron Rice, Chorizo, and Green Peas

Standard paella

Category
Dinner
Cuisine
Spanish
Serves
8
Time
45 minutes
From
Bobby Flay

ricechickenshellfish

Adapted from Bobby Flay: Chapter One

If I could feed the world with one dish, it would be paella. There isn't a better family-style dish out there. It has something for everyone: shellfish, chicken, chorizo, vegetables, and, of course, rice. The best part is the socarrat, the crusty rice that sticks to the bottom of the pan. A lemon, garlicky aioli folded in at the end gives this paella a brightness that enhances all its components.

Ingredients

Saffron Rice

  • 7½ cups chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cups Bomba rice
  • Large pinch of saffron
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Paella

  • 4 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 (2½-pound) whole chickens, each cut into 8 pieces
  • ½ pound cured Spanish chorizo, sliced into ½-inch-thick coins
  • 8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 4 baby squid, cleaned, bodies sliced into rings
  • 1 cup fresh peas
  • 24 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
  • 24 littleneck clams, scrubbed and rinsed
  • ¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • ½ cup Lemon Aioli
  • Cooked meat from 2 (1½-pound) lobsters (optional, see note)

Lemon Aioli (1 cup)

  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon chopped lemon zest
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Instructions

Rice

  1. In a large saucepan, bring the stock to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer.
  2. In a separate large saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat until the butter melts, then add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the rice and stir to coat.

  1. Add the saffron to the simmering stock and cook for

1 minute. Add the hot stock to the rice, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook until most of the stock has been absorbed, about 12 minutes. Stir the rice, cover, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender and cooked through. Uncover and fluff the rice with a fork.

Paella

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  2. Place the tomatoes in a small baking dish and drizzle with the honey and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, then toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and roast until soft, about 20 minutes. Set aside. Increase the oven temperature to 450°F.
  3. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet. In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then, working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, brown the chicken on all sides.

Place the browned chicken on the wire rack. Once all the chicken has been browned, transfer the baking sheet to the oven and roast until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest.

  1. In a dry medium sauté pan, cook the chorizo over medium-high heat, allowing it to render and cook in its own fat until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer the chorizo to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
  2. In a 16-inch paella pan, heat the remaining

2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Season the shrimp with salt and peppe and sauté for 1 minute. Season the squid with salt and pepper and add to the pan with the shrimp. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until the seafood is just cooked through Add the saffron rice, peas, roasted tomatoes, chicken, and chorizo and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, undisturbed, until a nice crust forms on the bottom of the rice, about 10 minutes.

  1. Meanwhile, in a large pot, combine the mussals, clams, and 1 cup water. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until the clams and mussels open, about 10 minutes; discard any that do not open. Drain, then nestle the clams and mussels into the rice. Fold in the parsley and lemon aioli and mix until combined. Season with salt and pepper and top with the lobster. Serve immediately.

Lemon Aioli

  1. In a food processor or blender, combine the garlic, salt, egg yolks, lemon zest, and lemon juice and process until smooth. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream, then process until thickened.
  2. Season with salt and the white pepper.
  3. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes

  • Lobster is obviously an extravagence, so just leave it out. You could also replace with langoustine tails (from Trader Joe's), or more shrimp