Paella is one of those dishes that was always on my “to make” list, but I just never got around to. Honestly, I don’t know why I waited so long to give it a whirl. Chicken, spicy chorizo, shrimp, clams, white wine, saffron – all cooked together, with a hefty portion of rice acting as a bed to absorb all that goodness.
I love one dish meals to begin with. But, the flavor that comes out of this simple – yet sophisticated dish, is un-paralleled.
Yeah, I know it’s traditionally made with mussels. But, that’s something we don’t come by too often here on the Eastern Shore. They tend prefer rocky coastlines, and we have alot of marshy muddy coast here. That being said, I love this Eastern Shore twist of the littleneck clams. Juicy and tender – they add wonderful flavor to the paella. That I’m not so sure you’d get with mussels to begin with…
I’ve never had a paella pan (don’t believe in uni-taskers), but if you have a heavy dutch oven – you’re all set! The good folks at Le Creuset were so kind to send me this gorgeous Mariner Star Dutch oven a couple of weeks ago. I love it’s nautical look and feel, it looks right at home in my island kitchen.
Oh yeah, by the way – they have one to give away to one lucky reader! Details can be found at the end of the post.
A quick sear of the chicken and chorizo, followed by a saute of onion and garlic. Tomatoes, wine, chicken stock saffron, and bay leaf create a rich broth in which the rice cooks, along with the chicken and chorizo, in the oven. The seafood is added for the last few minutes, so it doesn’t get overcooked in the process.
To attain the soccarat, or the crispy edge on the bottom of your paella, just takes a few minutes on the stovetop once the paella is removed from the oven. And trust me, it’s worth it. Don’t skip this step.
An easy garnish of a lemon wedge and some fresh parsley, a green salad, and a bottle of wine – and you’ve got a lovely meal fit for company!
Le Creuset has graciously offered to giveaway one of the Limited Edition Mariner Star 5.5 Quart Round Dutch Oven to one lucky reader. What’s your favorite thing to make in a dutch oven? Leave a comment telling us what that is, here on this post, to be entered to win. Winner will be chosen on February 10th at 12 PM, via random number generator.
WINNING COMMENT WAS #46! Congratulations, Sarah – I hope you enjoy the dutch oven, and make many treasured family recipes in it over the years. Thank you again, Le Creuset!
Eastern Shore Paella
3/4 pound large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined
3 chicken thighs
10 garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (2 generous tablespoons)
1 Tbsp paprika
kosher salt
olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
8 oz chorizo sausage, casings removed
1 red onion, diced
1 (14.5 oz) can tomatoes – drained, minced, and drained again
2 cups medium-grain rice
3 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup dry white wine (I used Chardonnay)
hefty pinch saffron threads, crumbled
1 dried bay leaf
15-20 small (littleneck) clams, scrubbed and rinsed
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 Lemon, cut into wedges, for serving
Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position; heat the oven to 350°F. Toss the shrimp, 1 tablespoon oil, 3 teaspoons of the garlic, and 1 tsp of salt in a medium bowl; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. Season the chicken thighs with salt and 2 tsp of paprika; set aside.
Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the pepper strips and cook, stirring occasionally, until the skin begins to blister and turn spotty black, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the pepper to a small plate and set aside.
Add the chicken pieces to the pan in a single layer. Cook, without moving the pieces, until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn the pieces and brown on the second side, about 3 minutes longer; transfer the chicken to a medium bowl. Reduce the heat to medium and add the chorizo to the pot; cook, stirring frequently, until deeply browned and the fat begins to render, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the chorizo to the bowl with the chicken and set aside.
Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 minutes; stir in the remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes; cook until the mixture begins to darken and thicken slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook until the grains are well coated with the tomato mixture, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, wine, saffron, bay leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Return the chicken and chorizo to the pot, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven; cook until the rice absorbs almost all of the liquid, about 15 minutes.
Remove the paella from the oven. Uncover the paella; scatter the shrimp over the rice, insert the clams hinged-side down into the rice (so they stand upright), arrange the bell pepper strips in a pinwheel pattern, and scatter the peas over the top. Cover and return to the oven; cook until the shrimp are opaque and the clams have opened, 10 to 12 minutes.
Remove from oven and place onto stovetop, uncovered, over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, rotating the pot 180 degrees after about 2 minutes for even browning of the bottom.
Recover dish and let stand about 5 minutes. Discard any clams that have not opened and the bay leaf. Sprinkle the paella with the parsley and serve, passing the lemon wedges separately.
Source: adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
Disclaimer: I received a 5.5 Quart Round Dutch Oven from Le Creuset for review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
