Southwestern Paella Recipes

PAELLA

Steps:

• Make the sofrito: In a heavy 12-inch skillet heat 3 tablespoons olive oil until hot, add the onions, and pepper strips and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, garlic, and thyme and cook, stirring for 5 minutes more, until most of the liquid in the pan evaporates and the mixture is thick.
• Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In the skillet heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over moderately high heat until hot. Add the chicken and cook it, turning. Add sausages and cook until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate and deglaze pan with 1/2 cup dry white wine.
• About a 30 minutes before you plan to serve the paella, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a 14-inch paella pan or shallow casserole at least 14-inches in diameter, combine the sofrito, rice, and the saffron. Pour in 5 cups simmering stock and, stirring constantly, bring to a boil over high heat. Remove the pan from the heat immediately and season with salt. Arrange the chicken, sausage, shrimp, clams, and mussels on top of the rice. Set the pan on the floor of the oven or the lowest shelf and bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Scatter the peas at random over the whole and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more or until all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice and the grains are tender but not too soft. If necessary, add the remaining cup stock, if the rice needs to be more soft. Do not stir the paella once it goes in oven.
• Let paella stand at room temperature covered with a cloth for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with the lemons and parsley.

SOUTHWESTERN PAELLA

Steps:

• Cut the chicken pieces and the pork into bite-sized pieces.
• Heat olive oil in a heavy kettle or Dutch oven over medium high heat and brown chicken and pork in small batches; remove from kettle and set aside.
• Add onions, tomatoes, and bell pepper and cook over medium heat until onion is tender but not browned.
• Take about a cup of broth , put it in a small sauce pan, add the Mexican saffron and bring to a boil to release the saffron's goodness and color.
• Place this and the rest of the liquid in the kettle, stir in the rice,add the spices,the chicken and pork and bring to a boil.
• Cover tightly, reduce heat, and simmer for 25 minutes.
• Stir in peas.
• If you wish to add the shrimp and fish, stir that in at this point.
• Cover tightly and simmer 15 minutes longer.
• Then carefully stir in artichoke hearts.
• Serve on a large platter and garnish with the pimentos.

PAELLA - EASY & DELICIOUS

Steps:

• Note: If starting with raw chicken, use only breast meat as dark meat will not have time to completly cook. If using chorizo, cook in a side skillet.
• Rinse frozen shrimp to release any built up ice and set aside in colander.
• In large 5 qt skillet or saute pan, add olive oil and heat on medium-low.
• When well heated, add garlic and cook 2-3 minutes.
• Add chicken, cook 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add onion, red bell pepper and cook until veggies are tender and chicken is no longer pink. Veggies should have cooked down making a thick garlic olive oil sauce.
• Add rice, stir frequently while toasting rice, about 4-5 minutes.
• Sprinkle oregano, turmeric (saffron), lemon zest, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes over chicklen mixture and fold in seasoning.
• Add bayleaf, chicken stock, pre-cooked sausage/pork/ham, stirring until seasoning is well distributed.
• Add roma tomatoes, folding in lightly.
• Cover with lid and simmer for 15 minutes on med-low.
• Taste test for salt & pepper and add if needed.
• Add green peas & parsley, folding in, recover with lid and simmer 5 minutes. (Add more stock or water if needed, but recipe should be fine).
• Fold in pre-cooked shrimp, cover, and allow to simmer 5-7 minutes until heated through.
• Remove bayleaf and throw away.
• Serve hot directrly from pan or large pasta serving dish.