NIAN GAO 

paella

7 cups seafood stock (warmed)

17.5 oz bag bomba rice

3 TBSP oil

3 large shallots finely chopped

6 cloves garlic smashed

1/2 cup white wine

1 TBSP pimenton (smoked spanish paprika)

1 large pinch saffron in 2 tsp of stock

4 chorizo (I used aidells chicken)

1 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs

2 large tomatoes, chopped and roasted with honey, olive oil, salt and pepper

1/2 lb squid, cut in rings a little smaller than 1/2”

2 lbs mussels

12 clams (little neck or cockles)

1/2 lb salmon fillet cut in 4 pieces, salt and pepper

1 lb super colossal shrimp (8 count)

1 lb Alaskan crab claws or lobster tails

4 large sea scallops, salt and pepper

Lemon cut in quarters (garnish)

Cilantro and or parsley coarsely chop (garnish)

 

Clean and devein shrimp (make stock)

Soak clams and mussels in salted water 30 minutes, then dump and rinse and replace with water, discard any that have opened

Preheat oven to 400 degree, mix tomatoes, (chopped coarsely) honey, olive oil, salt and pepper, cook for 25 minutes and remove from oven and set aside

Slice sausage in thick disks

Heat large cast iron, 18”, medium high

Warm stock in large pot

Brown sausage both sides and remove

Salt and pepper chicken

Add a little oil and half the garlic to pan and brown chicken both sides and remove, turn off heat

In 6 quart stock pot with lid heat to medium add oil until hot

Add shallots cook for 5 minutes or until soft and then add garlic I minute

Add the rice and mix to coat cook for 3 minutes and then deglaze with wine

Add 6 cups stock, turn up heat to a boil and then down to very low simmer and cover

Add saffron, scrape the pan that you cooked sausage and chicken into the rice

Turn up heat to medium high on pan you cooked sausage and chicken in add a little oil

Salt and pepper squid and add to hot pan cook for 1 minute until they just turn white, remove and add to chicken and sausage, turn off pan

Add pimenton to 1 cup reserved stock, bring to boil and add mussels and cover

Cook until they are opened and set aside and remove from shells and add to the other resting ingredients

Cook clams in the same manner and then add all resting ingredients to rice and mix well

The rice should be done by now, (after about 20 minutes cooking time (or until just about done) turn rice to lowest heat

Add crab if already cooked and place salmon on top of rice and cover after 5 minutes, turn over to cook both sides

Turn up heat on largest pan again, add a little more oil and sear shrimp on both sides to cook through (about 4 minutes a side) before you flip them add scallops and sear until browned about 2 minutes a side, remove shrimp and scallops from pan, turn off pan

Pour some of the liquid from clam and mussels cooking pot into largest pot

Remove the crab and salmon from rice and set aside

Add the rice mixture to 18” pan

Arrange salmon, crab, shrimp and scallops

Garnish with lemon and cilantro/ parsley and bring the pan to the table Set on trivet or large thick cutting board

Serve with sangria