How to make paella?

Question

From scratch - i knwo you need rice and fresh fish but how do make it

Answer 1

This paella is geared to American rice, pans and palates

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
3 6 – 8 ounce rock lobster tails, cut crosswise into 1 inch chunks
1/2 pound raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 2 1/2 – 3 pound broiler – fryer, cut up
1 large yellow onion, peeled and minced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 large sweet pepper [yellow, red or orange] cored, seeded and minced
1 chorizo [Spanish sausage], sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
2 3/4 cups chicken broth or water
coarse salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 10 ounce package frozen green peas
1 1/2 dozen clams in the shell, prepared for cooking
1 pimiento, slivered [for garnish]

Method
Heat oil in a large [at least 5 – quart] burner – to – table kettle over moderately high heat 1 minute, add lobster and shrimp and stir – fry 3 – 4 minutes until just pink; remove with a slotted spoon and reserve. Brown chicken well, remove and reserve. Stir – fry onion in drippings 5 minutes, and then add garlic, sweet pepper and sausage and stir – fry 3 – 4 minutes. Add rice, broth, salt, pepper, saffron and tomato paste. Return chicken to kettle, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add lobster, shrimp and peas [break them up when adding], cover and simmer 10 – 15 minutes until chicken and peas are tender. Arrange clams on top, cover and simmer 5 minutes until clams partially open. Sprinkle with pimiento and serve.

Answer 2

I make this all the time. It is much, much simpler than most of the other recipes posted here, but it's as good as anything I've ever had in a restaurant, and it can be on the table in just over half an hour. And you don't need a special paella pan--but you do need a heavy skillet that can go into the oven at a high temperature. Here we go:

--2 cups stock (chicken, shrimp, or a combination)
--large pinch saffrom threads
--1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
--1 small onion, minced
--1 cup Arborio rice
--salt and pepper
--1/2 cup roughly-cut-up chicken thigh meat
--1/3 cup chorizo or other spicy sausage, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices (note: I usually partly cook them first to make them easier to slice)
--about 1 dozen large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on
--optional: 1/2 cup frozen peas
--1/4 cup chopped parsley

Preheat your oven to 500, or as high as it will go. Warm the stock or broth in a small saucepan (or in the microwave) along with the saffron. Place the ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat; add the oil. One minute later, add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the rice. Cook and stir until it's glossy, 1 or 2 minutes. (It turns out this step is important. Once I forgot to do it, and the rice came out somewhat gummy.) Season liberally with salt and pepper; add the warmed stock. Add the meats, but don't add the shrimp just yet. Add the peas if you're using them. Stir to distribute. Transfer the skillet to the oven.

Bake anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes. Add the shrimp only in the last 5 minutes--just arrange them over the top. The paella is done when all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is dry on top. Sprinkle with the parsley before serving. This will serve 4 generously.

You can substitute any kind of cut-up fish you like for one or more of the meats, but I would add it later--say, in the last 8 minutes or so--because fish can overcook so easily.

A bottle of Amontillado, a platter of asparagus, and you're all set--and your guests will never know you didn't spend hours cooking it.

Answer 3

Ingredients
170g/6oz chorizo, cut into thin slices
110g/4oz pancetta, cut into small dice
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 large Spanish onion, finely diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 tsp soft thyme leaves
¼ tsp dried red chilli flakes
570ml/1pint calasparra (Spanish short-grain) rice
1 tsp paprika
125ml/4fl oz dry white wine
1.2 litres/2 pints chicken stock, heated with ¼ tsp saffron strands
8 chicken thighs, each chopped in half and browned
18 small clams, cleaned
110g/4oz fresh or frozen peas
4 large tomatoes, de-seeded and diced
125ml/4fl oz good olive oil
1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled
12 jumbo raw prawns, in shells
450g/1lb squid, cleaned and chopped into bite-sized pieces
5 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
1. Heat half the olive oil in a paella dish or heavy-based saucepan. Add the chorizo and pancetta and fry until crisp. Add the garlic, onion and pepper and heat until softened. Add the thyme, chilli flakes and calasparra rice, and stir until all the grains of rice are nicely coated and glossy. Now add the paprika and dry white wine and when it is bubbling, pour in the hot chicken stock, add the chicken thighs and cook for 5-10 minutes.
2. Now place the clams into the dish with the join facing down so that the edges open outwards. Sprinkle in the peas and chopped tomatoes and continue to cook gently for another 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil with the garlic cloves in a separate pan and add the prawns. Fry quickly for a minute or two then add them to the paella. Now do the same with the squid and add them to the paella too.
4. Scatter the chopped parsley over the paella and serve immediately.

Answer 4

Try this one! I make it all the time and its lovely, uses just prawns and chicken, which is how they make it in valencia.

Paella Valencia hecho Cat's manera
Ingredients

1 cup of basmati rice

1pt chicken stock made with a chicken stock cube

1 onion chopped

2 garlic cloves - sliced

1 red pepper chopped into strips

2 small chicken breasts, cubed

A large cupful of prawns small or large, fresh or frozen ones defrosted, must be shelled, but you can make it pretty with unshelled ones steamed on the top at the end if you like...

4 medium tomatoes, blanched, peeled, pips removed and chopped or lots of cherry tomatoes are fine

A few mushrooms sliced optional

1 large teaspoon of turmeric (safron if you can get it is better)

1 large teaspoon of paprika

1 small glass of white wine optional

2 Limes

Chopped parsley lemon time is nice too

Olive oil

Chilli oil optional

Cooking Time 45mins including all that chopping and frying, make in a wok or deep frying pan

Serves Two people

Instructions

First do all the chopping and prepare your tomatoes and everything, cos once you have started frying stuff you dont have much time inbetween ok!

Now all that chopping is done heat your olive oil (and chilli oil if you are using it) in a large wok or frying pan, it needs to be quite deep to take all the liquid. You will need about 3 tablespoons of oil in total.

Gently fry the garlic slices in the oil to flavour it, just for a couple of minutes, and then take them out.

Next slowly fry your onion till it’s nice and squidgy. Add your peppers, mushrooms and chicken and fry till the chicken is white all over. Then add your turmeric and paprika, its important you give these two spices a good fry of they will taste earthy, don’t worry if they stick a bit.

Now sprinkle the cup of rice over and fry the rice with the chicken for a couple of minutes, stirring it round so the rice absorbs the oil. Bung in the tomatoes and this should lift all the gunk off the bottom, fry these for a couple of mins and then pour in all the stock. If you are using wine then add this before the stock and boil the alcohol off before putting the stock in.

Make sure the paella is bubbling gently and poke it now and then till the rice has absorbed all the liquid, you can add salt at this point and it might need quite a lot as the rice soaks up all the flavours. It will take it about 20-30 mins, if the stock has all gone and the rice is still hard just add bits of boiling water till your rice is done. Be careful not to break the rice grains up too much as you go, though its ok if the rice and stock make a bit of yellow sauce when you mix them.

Just before its all done add your prawns, and let them heat through (or cook through if raw) this wont take long and you don’t want to do them too long in case they go rubbery.

The rice should be cooked, but still with texture, and the whole mixture still a bit wet and gloopy.

Must be served with lots of wedges of lime, and sprinkled with chopped parsley if you have any.

Answer 5

I use sauteede chicken (sprinkled with all purpose seasoning)
Kielbasa or Chorizo
& Red peppers
1 box Goya Spanish Ready Rice

I follow instructions on box and add ingredient when the rice starts to dry up You could also use a recipe like this...

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Dry white wine
1 ts saffron (azafrán)
Olive oil or Pam
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup long grain rice or yellow rice with zaffron (Mahatma is one brand)
1 red bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
3 cups chicken stock
6 oz breast of chicken, skinless
1/2 lb fresh shrimp
1 lb mussels
2 lb clams
2, 3 oz lobster tails
1/2 cup artichoke hearts
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup chopped tomato

Pre-cooking:
Preheat oven at 350*
Let peas defrost
Chop the onion, tomato and bell peppers
Peel the shrimp (this is a science of which we can talk some other time)
Cut the chicken in small cubes
Scrub the clams and mussels, discarding any that are open (dead)

Cooking:
Spray the frying pan with PAM or olive oil
Preheat the frying pan for one minute at med-high heat
Sauté the onion 2-3 mins until limp and brown
Add the rice, sauté until golden stirring so it won't burn
Add the wine and saffron (if not already in the rice) and stir until all the wine is absorbed
Stir in the peppers
Add 2 cups of chicken stock, 1/4 cup at a time stirring until the rice absorbs the stock (this is going to take a while)
Add the last cup of chicken stock
Add the cubed chicken
Add the shrimp, clams, lobster and mussels, tucking them in the rice
Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes until mussels open
Add the peas, tomato and artichokes and bake for 2 more minutes
Tips:
Saffron (azafrán) is really hard to find, and expensive, but is worth getting if you plan to make this dish since it gives the rice a yellow coloring and adds the essence of the paella flavor. Sometimes you can find rice with the saffron already in it, which is much cheaper than buying the saffron by itself.

The smaller the clams are, the better, since they cook faster and are easier to eat.

To peal shrimp easily:

Hold the shrimp so that you can grab it from the back and peel off the legs of the shrimp
Peel off a piece of the shell around the head area
Hold on to the head area of the shrimp and pull the tail, when done correctly the whole shell while come out.

It seems really complicated though... how about...

Using this chicken with rice recipe and adding the chorizo & any otehr items you want to it. I guarantee it will taste great & it looks a bit simpler

Arroz Con Pollo

2 cups uncooked rice
1 lb. chicken parts
1 small can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons of sliced Spanish Olives, use a bit of the liquid and the red peppers too.
1 teaspoon alcaparras
½ cup sofrito
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
½ cup vegetable oil
4 cups of boiling water

In a large caldero brown the chicken parts in the oil, 5 minutes each side.
Remove chicken from the pot and set aside. Don't put them on paper towels - we want any grease back in the pot.
Leave the chicken drippings inside the pot and add all the other ingredients except for the rice, water and chicken.
Mix well and cook sofrito for 5 minutes over medium heat.
Add the chicken and rice to the pot and stir.
Add the boiling water until the water is about 1 inch above the rice, stir once only.
Boil uncovered, over high heat, until water is absorbed.
Once the water is absorbed gently stir from bottom to top. Just a couple of turns only.
Cover and continue to cook over LOW heat for another 30 minutes or until the rice is tender.

Hints . . .

Don't concern yourself with weighing the meat too much. If you are serving 5 people just use 5 - 8 pieces of meat.
Resist the temptation to stir. Too much stirring causes the rice to become "amogollao" or sticky.
It is traditional to cook the chicken with bones and all. People will just pull the meat off the bones with their fork.
If you have cilantro add some to the top of the pot once it is done, for decoration.
Don't let your rice get "ahumado" or smoked from cooking at too high temperature.
For great pegao just cook a bit longer keeping an eye on it.
For a lot of peagao use a larger caldero (it will just be half empty).
Some people prefer to use deboned chicken. Cook the chicken in a crockpot all day with seasonings and when you get home from work debone and use the broth to make the rice.

Answer 6

INGREDIENTS:

1 small onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, finely chopped

½ red pepper, boiled until soft and then cut into long thin strips

2 medium-sized tomatoes, skinned and finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

100g peas, cooked

200g prawns (if using cooked prawns substitute fish stock for the water)

200g small clams

200g squid

12 mussels

350g rice (traditionally short grain rice is used but I prefer to use long grain)

2 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped

a pinch of saffron strands (if you can’t get saffron, use yellow food colouring instead and add it once you have added the liquid)

a sprig of parsley, finely chopped

olive oil

about 800ml water

PREPARATION:
MUSSELS: Wash the mussels, removing the beards. Throw away any that don’t shut on contact with water.

FRESH SQUID: Rub off the outer dark skin. Pull out the insides (including the transparent back bone) and pinch the eye away from the tentacles. Save the tentacles. Cut the squid into rings.

CLAMS: Wash in water and then put in a bowl with some salt so that the grit comes out. Throw away any that are open.

PRAWNS: Whether you peel them or not is up to you. If you decide to peel them, save the shells and boil in water for about ten minutes. Save the liquid and add later instead of water.

GARLIC: In a pestle and mortar, grind the garlic, saffron (if using), parsley and a pinch of salt.

RECIPE:

Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion, green pepper and carrot and fry gently for about five minutes. Add the chopped tomato and squid (with the tentacles) and fry on a low heat for another ten minutes.

Add the rice and stir well to make sure that it is thoroughly coated. Add water (or the water from boiling the prawn shells or fish stock if using frozen fish), clams and the garlic/saffron/parsley mixture and bring to the boil. Season with salt. Put a lid on it, turn the heat right down and cook very slowly for about ten minutes. Add the prawns and peas and give it a stir. Arrange the mussels and strips of red pepper artistically on top, put the lid back on and leave for another ten minutes - checking that it has enough water. If you think it is getting too dry, add more water, but shake the handle of the pan rather than stir so as not to upset the pattern. Once the rice is cooked and the mussels have opened, it is ready to eat.

Answer 7

The first thing you'll need is a paella pan.

This is a good paella recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_27609,00.html?rsrc=search

I would suggest something simpler like this risotto. It's almost morel season!

Risotto with Morels and Tarragon Cream
—
The Stock
—
Morel mushroom trimmings
2 leeks, washed, halved and cut into 3 in. pieces
3 carrots cut into 3 in. pieces
1 bulb of garlic separated, but not peeled
12 cups of water, plus more as needed
2 medium potatoes cut into 1/4s
3 onions cut into 1/8ths
1/2 bunch of parsley, stems and all
1 tsp coarse sea salt
10 green peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup dry, white wine
—
Saute the onions in 2 Tbs olive oil until translucent. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add the water, turn up the heat to high and add the remainder of the ingredients except the morel trimmings. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Strain the stock, transfer to a smaller pot, add another bay leaf, the morel trimmings and simmer for 20 minutes more.

The Morels
—
1/2 pound fresh morels
2 Tbs butter
1/4 cup cognac

Brush the mushrooms clean, trim and cut in half. Melt the butter in a saute pan. Add the morels and saute over a low flame for 3 minutes. Turn up the heat to medium and add the cognac. Cook for 2 minutes, reduce the flame and cook a few minutes more.

The Risotto
—
4 shallots minced
1 cup of vialone nano rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups of stock
2 Tbs olive oil
3 Tbs chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano
1/2 cup farm fresh heavy cream
salt to taste
—
Heat the cream gently and add the tarragon. Cook over a low flame for 5 minutes, careful not to let the cream simmer. Remove from the flame and cover.

Saute the shallots in olive oil until translucent. Add the rice, stir to coat and saute for 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook uncovered, stirring often until liquid is reduced by half.

Add 1/2 cup of stock and continue the process for about 20–30 minutes until the risotto is almost al dente. Add the morels, the tarragon cream and cook for a few minutes more adding stock as necessary. The risotto should be firm, but soft.

Stir in the cheese. Serve immediately with a Sicilian Frappato or your favorite white Bordeaux.

Answer 8

Easy Paella

INGREDIENTS

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 tablespoon paprika
* 2 teaspoons dried oregano
* salt and black pepper to taste
* 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch pieces
*
* 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
* 3 cloves garlic, crushed
* 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* 2 cups uncooked short-grain white rice
* 1 pinch saffron threads
* 1 bay leaf
* 1/2 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
* 1 quart chicken stock
* 2 lemons, zested
*
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 Spanish onion, chopped
* 1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
* 1 pound chorizo sausage, casings removed and crumbled
* 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons olive oil, paprika, oregano, and salt and pepper. Stir in chicken pieces to coat. Cover, and refrigerate.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or paella pan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes, and rice. Cook, stirring, to coat rice with oil, about 3 minutes. Stir in saffron threads, bay leaf, parsley, chicken stock, and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Stir in marinated chicken and onion; cook 5 minutes. Stir in bell pepper and sausage; cook 5 minutes. Stir in shrimp; cook, turning the shrimp, until both sides are pink.
4. Spread rice mixture onto a serving tray. Top with meat and seafood mixture.

Answer 9

you need to fry the rice with peas and red pepper's and put shrimps in prawns any sort of seefood the spanish leave the shells on the prawns but it's better if you yake the shell's off don't want all that fiddling about.

Answer 10

there are many ways however i find that the trick is to boil the rice separately using a really good fish stock. that way the rice is infused with the flavour of fish.