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Courtesy of Rosaura Fabra Jaques
Serves 4 generously
Start to finish: 45 minutes
from Edible Seattle January/February 2010
Rosaura says this paella was cooked by both her mother and her grandmother. You’ll need a 14” paella pan for this batch.
4 cups water or stock (either fish, chicken or vegetable)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
12 medium shrimp, unpeeled
1/4 lb Bay scallops
1/4 lb squid, sliced into rings
8 to 10 mussels, debearded
2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced
8 ounces Spanish roasted red peppers in oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup parsley, minced
2 ripe tomatoes, puréed
A few strands of saffron
Salt to taste
2 cups of Spanish paella rice
Have the water or stock heated to a low boil in a medium saucepan before sautéing the rest of the ingredients.
After the water is hot, pour two tablespoons of olive oil into a 14” paella pan, and place the pan on high heat. Brown the chicken on all sides and set aside. In the same pan, add another tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the shrimp, squid and scallops for a minute or two, until all the pieces are lightly seared.
Lower the heat to medium low and sauté the red peppers for several minutes. After they have begun to caramelize, add the minced garlic and the parsley. Cook and stir for one minute, and blend in the puréed tomatoes.
Gently stir in the rice so all the grains are lightly coated with sauce. Add the browned meat, squid, scallops and shrimp. Lower the heat to the lowest setting, and let the rice slowly absorb the olive oil for 5-10 minutes. Stir the threads of saffron and several dashes of salt into the water, and add the mixture to the paella, until everything is just covered. Taste the broth and add more salt if needed. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium high heat, steam the mussels open. Discard any that don’t open after about three minutes.
Adjust the heat so the paella maintains a constant, moderate boil. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Arrange the mussels on top of paella.
Bring the paella to the table in the pan, allowing everyone to serve themselves.
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