paella — This Is A Restaurant

DAY BEFORE

Make your own stock or buy it

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4+

1 cup medium onion or shallots (fine dice)

2 cups paella rice or Israeli couscous

saffron pinch dissolved in a little water

5 cloves garlic

1/2 cup white wine

8 cups seafood stock 7 cups stock seafood or chicken +1 extra cup of stock to steam shellfish)

2 TBSP tomato paste or two fresh tomatoes chopped roasted w honey

Salt unless the stock is salty

1 TBSP hot pimenton (smoked paprika)

1 lb boneless skinless thighs (salt and pepper a bit)

4 chorizo sausage (or your favorite)

1 lb shrimp (split them down the middle so you get more bites with shrimp or not)

1 lb squid cut in rings

little neck clams (4+ per person)

scallops (one large seared sea scallop for person)

mussels (4+ per person)

1 lb salmon fillet

1 lb alaskan king crab

1/2 cup edamame or peas* (optional) *I’m just not a fan of peas

roasted artichokes (optional)

cilantro or parsley, or both

PREP

Make the rice or couscous

Sauté onions in oil medium until soft

Add garlic and cook for a few more minutes

Add couscous or rice, mix and coat 2 minutes

Deglaze with wine

Add stock bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low add the saffron and cover until just about done

Turn off rice until you are ready to add it

If using fresh tomatoes; quarter them and drizzle with oil, honey and salt. Put in over at 400 until lightly browned

Brown sausage in large medium high hot dry pan (18” cast iron or biggest pan you own)

Remove sausage put in large bowl and add oil to pan

Add chicken and cook both sides

Remove chicken and when cool, cut into bite sized pieces and add to bowl with sausage

Cook and remove shrimp, squid 2-3 minutes and add to bowl of sausage and chicken

In large pot with lid add 1 cup stock and 1 TBSP pimenton, bring to a boil and add shell fish

Cover and cook until done 8-10 minutes add to other resting ingredients

In very hot pan with a bit of oil sear scallops 1-2 minutes per side

Turn heat back on large pan and add rice, chicken, squid, shrimp, sausage and shellfish (artichokes, peas/edamame

Garnish with parsley/cilantro. Bringing the pan to the table makes for a dramatic presentation