Marias Classic Paella Recipes

MARIA'S CLASSIC PAELLA

Steps:

• Bring stock to a simmer in a stockpot over medium-low heat. Stir crushed saffron into the simmering stock.
• Heat olive oil in a paella pan over medium heat. Fry chicken thighs in hot oil until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes more. Arrange the chorizo into the pan around the chicken thighs and cook until warmed, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
• Pour rice into the paella pan and stir to coat with oil; season with sweet paprika. Stir grated tomato into the rice and cook until the tomato is warmed, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Pour chicken stock into the paella pan and bring to a boil while scraping any browned bits of food off the bottom of the pan with a flat-edged wooden spoon. Smooth surface of rice with the wooden spoon in an even layer so it cooks evenly.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, without stirring, until the rice has softened but has yet to completely absorb the stock, 15 to 30 minutes.
• Place clams and mussels, hinged-side down, into the rice; continue simmering until the mussels and clams open, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Nestle prawns into the rice; add bell pepper and peas. Continue cooking until the bottom of the rice is browned and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle parsley over the paella, and garnish with lemon wedges. Serve with baguette slices.

MARIA'S PAELLA

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a very large skillet or paella pan over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke. Place chicken thighs skin-side down into oil and sear until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes; set aside.
• Stir in onion and garlic, and cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 1 minute. Add green and red bell peppers, calamari, and small shrimp; cook for 2 minutes more.
• Stir in salt, saffron, tomatoes, peas, rice, and water until well combined. Add chicken thighs, and simmer for 15 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to make sure rice does not stick.
• Decoratively nestle clams and jumbo shrimp into the rice. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Place the scallops into the paella, recover, and continue simmering until the rice is tender and the scallops firm and opaque, about 5 minutes. Garnish with lemon wedges to serve.

PAELLA DE MARISCOS

Steps:

• Make the sofrito. Heat a 12-inch paella pan over medium-high heat. Add 3 Tbsps. oil, then the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the grated tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes have lost most of their moisture and the sofrito is reduced to about one-fourth cup, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and place the sofrito in a small bowl. Wipe the pan.
• Return the pan to medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the remaining oil, then the cod and squid. Sear the fish, stirring frequently, about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium and add the sofrito back to the pan. Cook, stirring the sofrito with the fish to blend the flavors, for 3 minutes. Add the wine, stirring to remove any bits of flavoring from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 1 minute.
• Stir in the fish broth, then add the saffron and bay leaf. Season with the salt; the broth will be a bit salty at first, but will even out as the rice cooks.
• Spread the rice evenly in the pan. The rice should be completely submerged; if not, add more broth to the pan. Do not stir the rice. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Arrange the mussels and shrimp over the rice and continue to cook, being careful not to break the film that forms on the surface of the rice or the rice will not cook evenly. Rotate the pan as needed so the paella cooks evenly. Cook until the liquid is mostly absorbed by the rice, the shrimp are firm and opaque and the mussels have opened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Cover the pan loosely with paper towels and rest for at least 5 minutes before serving at warm room temperature. The paella can remain at room temperature for up to 2 hours, covered, before serving.