A Little Taste of Spain

I've been wanting to make Paella since we got back from Spain, so almost a year! There are some specialty ingredients that I haven't been able to find, so I used that as an excuse for quite a while. I finally decided to just order them online, starting with a legit Paella pan. This was the hardest item to decide on. I'll include links of what I bought below - 

Paella pan - There were cheaper options available, but my number one requirement was that it had to be made in Spain. I didn't want any Chinese crap. I also wanted it to be big, so I can make enough for a lot of people or to freeze some leftovers.

Spanish Chorizo - I'm sure there's somewhere I can find this. There has to be a specialty store that has it. This time, Amazon saved me, but I'll keep looking. This isn't anything like Mexican Chorizo, so definitely don't try to go that route. This was really good, and I was pleased with it, but it wasn't hot, even for a whimp like me.

Bomba Rice - I've read that you can substitute arborio rice. I may try that once I run out of this, just to see, but this rice turned out perfect. 

Spanish Paprika - This time, I used the smoked paprika. Next time, I may try a different one, or maybe I'll blend the smoked and hot.

* I already had Saffron that we brought back from Spain - though it will only make it through another 2 recipes before I'll have to get more *

I realize that some of these ingredients are crazy expensive. I wanted to make the paella as authentic as possible at least the first time around, to make sure I had found the right recipe. I have definitely found the right recipe, so now I'll start to look for cheaper options locally. 

Now, for the recipe...

I looked at tons of recipes online before I decided to give this one a shot. Some had random ingredients that I never saw in any paella in Spain (and we ate a LOT of paella), some had too many canned items, etc. This one just looked the best, so I decided to go for it! The only thing I changed was the chicken. I didn't add any, because I didn't have any thighs and I didn't want to put breasts in it. It would have added more meat, which would have made it more filling, I suppose. It was very delicious without the chicken and I don't feel like any flavor was lacking. I may add chicken next time. I left out the lemon because I didn't have any and it was't worth going to the grocery store. I left off the Parsley because I didn't want to taste Parsley. I used a frozen seafood mix that had shrimp, squid, clams and mussles. It worked great.

Recipe and instructions below, but the original page has lots of other useful information.

Ingredients

• 2 medium, ripe tomatoes (about 12 ounces)
• 16 large shrimp (about 12 ounces), peeled and deveined
• 1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika(pimentón dulce)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 8 ounces Spanish chorizo, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, as needed
• 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
• 2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 large pinch saffron threads
• 2 cups paella rice (about 1 pound), sometimes labeled bomba or Valencia
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning the shrimp and chicken
• 4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium chicken broth
• 16 mussels, manila clams, or a combination, scrubbed
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 2 medium lemons, cut into 8 wedges each, for serving

Instructions

1. 1
   Core and halve the tomatoes. Grate the flesh side of each half on the large holes of a box grater set over a medium bowl, stopping when you get to the skin. Discard the skins. You should have about 3/4 cup of tomato pulp and juice; set aside.
2. 2
   Place the shrimp in a medium bowl, add 1/4 teaspoon of the paprika, and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and refrigerate.
3. 3
   Place the chicken in a medium bowl and season generously with salt and pepper; set aside.
4. 4
   Heat an outdoor grill to high (about 450°F to 550°F). Place a 15-inch paella pan on the grill, cover, and heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Add the chorizo to the pan, close the grill, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is starting to brown and the fat is rendered, about 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the chorizo to a large bowl; set aside.
5. 5
   There should be a thin layer of rendered fat in the pan. If there’s not enough, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the seasoned chicken to the pan in a single layer, close the grill, and sear, stirring occasionally, until both sides of the chicken pieces are golden brown, about 6 minutes total. (You will need to rotate the pan occasionally on the grill to evenly distribute the heat.) Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to the bowl with the chorizo; set aside.
6. 6
   Add the onion to the pan, season with salt and pepper, close the grill, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed on a gas grill or moving the paella pan to a cooler part of a charcoal grill so that the onions don’t burn. Add the garlic, remaining 3/4 teaspoon paprika, and saffron, stir to combine, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
7. 7
   Add the reserved tomato pulp and juice and cook until the mixture has slightly darkened in color, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and measured salt and stir to coat in the tomato mixture.
8. 8
   Add the broth and stir to combine. Arrange the rice mixture in an even layer. Distribute the reserved chorizo and chicken over the rice, adding any accumulated juices from the bowl. (Do not stir the rice from this point on.)
9. 9
   Close the grill and bring the mixture to a lively simmer. Continue to simmer, checking occasionally, until the rice grains have swelled, most of the liquid has been absorbed, and the rice begins to make a crackling sound, about 12 minutes. (Make sure to rotate the pan occasionally to evenly distribute the heat, and adjust the heat as needed to maintain a lively simmer.)
10. 10
    Arrange the reserved shrimp and the shellfish (hinge-side down) in the rice, nestling them slightly. Close the grill and cook until the shellfish have opened, the shrimp are just cooked through, and the rice is tender but still al dente, about 10 to 12 minutes.
11. 11
    Remove the pan from the grill, cover with foil, and let stand for 5 minutes. Before serving the paella, discard any unopened shellfish and sprinkle the dish with the parsley. Serve with the lemon wedges.