Recipe of the Week

The Ultimate Paella - it was so good! I'm not the only one saying that. I sent some home with a friend and they loved it as well!

Ingredients:
-spice mix for chicken, recipe follows
-1 (3 lb) frying chicken, cut into 10 pieces - I used chicken breast that we had in the freezer
-1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
-2 Spanish chorizo sausages, thickly sliced
-Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
-1 Spanish onion, diced
-4 garlic cloves crushed
-Bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped, reserve some for garnish
-1 (15 oz) can whole tomatoes, drained and hand-crushed
-4 cups short grain Spanish rice
-6 cups water, warm
-Generous pinch saffron threads - I skipped this ingredient as it is around $24 an oz! Plus you have to crush it I think to use it...you can't just grab a pinch and use it. If you use it google what to do with it first.
-1 dozen littlenech clams, scrubbed
-1 lb jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-vained
-2 lobster tails - skipped this as well.
-1/2 cup sweet peas - if frozen thaw before using
-Lemon wedges, for serving

Special Equipment:
Large paella pan or wide shallow skillet (I used my largest regular skillet)

Directions:
Rub the spice mix all over the chicken and marinate chicken for 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Heat oil in a paella pan over medium-high heat. Saute the chorizo until browned, remove and reserve. Add chicken skin-side down and brown on all sides, turning with tongs. Add salt and freshly ground pepper. Remove from pan and reserve.

In the same pan, make a sofrito by sauteing the onions, garlic, and parsley. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes on a medium heat. Then, add tomatoes and cook until the mixture caramelizes a bit and the flavors meld. Fold in the rice and stir-fry to coat the grains. Pour in water and simmer for 10 minutes, gently moving the pan around so the rice cooks evenly and absorbs the liquid. Add chicken, chorizo, and saffron. Add the clams and shrimp, tucking them into the rice. The shrimp will take about 8 minutes to cook. Give the paella a good shake and let it simmer, without stirring, until the rice is al dente, for about 15 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, when the rice is filling the pan, add the lobster tails. When the paella is cooked and the rice looks fluffy and moist, turn the heat up for 40 seconds until you can smell the rice toast at the bottom, then it's perfect.

Cook's note: The ideal paella has a toasted rice bottom called socarrat.

Remove from heat and rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with peas, parsley and lemon wedges.

Spice Mix for Chicken:
1 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken; marinate for 1 hour covered.

Enjoy...it is really good with a really cold beer!