Paella with chicken and seafood

This is an easy to make, supremely popular and flavourful Spanish rice dish that uses chicken and prawns for a complete meal!

Recently, I had the good fortune of receiving a hamper of pantry items from Spain which included some lovely pimenton del a vera (smoked paprika) in dulce (sweet) and picante (hot) varieties, Spanish saffron, and Albufera rice (a fat, short grain variety which is a cross between Bomba and Senia). According to me and based on tons of reading online, this is the holy trinity of any Paella recipe – the rice (traditionally Bomba), and the paprika.

Paella, much like khichdi or biryani has endless variations; each region has a particular way of making it and every household has its own traditional recipe. Essentially, it uses a mix of available meats and/or seafood: chicken, chorizo sausage, rabbit, veal, squid, cuttlefish, mussels and prawn, few herbs, a sofrito, saffron and rice to make a composite dish that is slow cooked on a wide, shallow pan. I’ve wanted to make it since years, but it sounded prohibitively expensive….till I realized that the Only Essential Ingredient is the smoked paprika! Smoked paprika is the dried, red powder of a type of red capsicum that is smoked over oakwood to give a distinct bacon-like smell and rich flavour.

Another interesting tidbit is that the burnt bottom crunchy rice crust at the base of the pot, prized in biryani seems to be a favourite across cultures. This caramelized layer made of rice that gets stuck at the bottom of a biryani or kheer pot is a treat for the ill-mannered person who digs through the rice pot to get to it kids. It is called tahdig in Iranian cuisine (with the rice actually served upside down!) and soccarat in a paella. It’s amusing to me that in these rice dishes that approach royal feast levels in their use of luxurious ingredients, the universal favourite part and markers of authenticity is the scorched bottom.

Unlike its Italian cousin risotto (which uses a fat, shortgrain Arborio rice along with parmesan cheese and a stock), paella is still a dish that is served in very few fine-dining Indian restaurants. They usually add bits of bacon or cream to it, which is unnecessary if you have the smoked paprika and an hour to spare. Hence, making this at home will be a true treat for your family and friends!

You can make a mixed paella or a seafood paella, the important part to remember is that it builds upon different flavours, and has 3 main components: the meat, the stock, and the flavouring either in a sofrito or mixed with the meat/stock itself.

COMPONENTS

1. Meat: Several paella recipes use chorizo, which is a type of cured, smoked pork sausage having smoked paprika already. If you are using it, use less smoked paprika powder in the remaining dish. Alternatively, you can use regular sliced sausage (but I find the texture to be really different from chorizo), or bacon (which adds a similar smokiness in flavour). I have used a bone-in, skinless chicken leg and thigh cut. I recommend that if you use pork or chicken use, use a cut with the bone in so that it flavours your rice while cooking. You can use any combination of meats, but don’t use mutton or a mince. I marinaded my chicken for 20 mins in smoked paprika, olive oil and salt. The seafood that goes on top of paella does not need any marinade, simply season with salt.
   
2. Sofrito: A sofrito is nothing but a base of diced vegetables sauteed till they are soft. It’s very similar to the onion-tomato base of most Indian gravies It can be made of onion, carrot, celery (called a mirepoix in French cuisine) or onion, tomato, garlic, and red capsicum (optional). I have used the latter, and added a pinch of smoked paprika to it. It’s cooked till mushiness, and provides a great foundation and flavour to paella. It dissolves in the rice.
   
3. Stock: Most recipes use a chicken stock, and it is readily available in the West. My favourite new find is the traditional seafood stock, that is simply made using the discarded shell and heads of the shrimp/prawn/fish within 10 minutes. This method allows me to use the leftovers after peeling and deveining the prawn to make a base for the rice to cook in. If nothing, you can make a veggie broth using onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf or mix a stock cube in some water (but beware of its saltiness). Make sure to add any saffron to the stock only after straining out the fish/prawn heads, else you risk losing precious threads!
   
4. Flavouring: Smoked paprika can be very strong, so a total of 2 tsp is enough. You can add it to the meat, a pinch to the sofrito or the stock. If you are using the sweet or regular variety, you can additionally use a little red chilly or cayenne pepper powder for the heat. I found that it gives a seasoning and colour to the chicken. You can add a tiny amount of dry herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano) you have to the chicken; I added a pinch of thyme. Don’t use a lot of dry herbs in the paella itself as they have a strong smell and taste and will overpower the delicate, floral saffron. You can also use 100 ml of white wine or sherry wine and saute the rice and sofrito in it before you add the stock.
   
5. Rice: A fat, shortgrain variety is a must. It should have a bite and not become mushy. If you don’t have Bomba or Arborio, go to the market and pick a rice that has short and plump whole kernels. The rice needs to be plump to absorb the stock yet have its own texture.

RECIPE
Chicken and seafood paella
Serves: 2 generous portions
Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 45 mins

Ingredients:
Chicken, 2 piece leg and thigh cut
Prawn, whole unpeeled 250g or 2 cups
Bomba rice, 1/2 cup
Tomato, 1 medium diced
Onion, 1 medium diced
Red capsicum, 1/2 diced
Garlic, 4-5 cloves minced
Smoked paprika, 2 tsp
Dried thyme, 1/4 tsp
Saffron, 1 pinch or 1/2 tsp
Salt, 2 tsp
Water, 2 cups
Olive oil, 3 tbsp (any neutral or vegetable oil will do; don’t use mustard oil)
Parsely, chopped
Lemon wedges, to garnish

Method:

1. Rub the chicken with 1.5 tsp smoked paprika, thyme, 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp olive oil and leave it to marinate for at least 15-20 mins. (could do overnight).

2. Peel and devein the prawns, cut off the heads of the prawn/shrimp/any fish you have. Salt the seafood and keep it aside.

3. Fry the discarded shells along with the heads in 1 tbsp olive oil till it turns pink. Add the water, 1/2 tsp salt and let it boil for 10-20 minutes. (Till then till you make the sofrito, in steps 5 and 6).

4. Strain the stock and add the saffron to it. Keep it aside.

4. Dice or slice the vegetables for the sofrito: onion, tomato, red capsicum, garlic.

5. On a medium flame, saute it in 1 tbsp olive oil, adding 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp smoked paprika for 5-6 minutes. Keep it aside.

6. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil to the pan in which you will make paella, and fry the chicken or your marinaded meat to it till it develops a good, brown colour. Fry it for 3 minutes per side, else the paprika will burn. No need to cook the meat through at this point, because it will cook along with the rice.

7. Add the rice to the pan, and saute it for 2 minutes.

8. Add the 2 cups of stock to the pan. Let it cook for 15 minutes, uncovered over a medium low heat till most of the stock is absorbed. Do not stir or mix.

9. Place the seafood (prawn, shrimp and/or mussels) on top of the rice, without letting it sink under the stock. Cover with a lid, and cook till the prawns are ready (turning from a translucent gray colour to opaque white with orange lines).

10. Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon wedges, and serve.

Enjoy!

TIPS:
1. To save on time, follow this process. Start with marinading the chicken and proceed to the stock. While it is boiling, make the sofrito. While, the sofrito is softening, drain the stock.
2. To save on bowls, use 1 bowl for the marinaded meat, and the same pan for frying the sofrito, chicken and paella.
3. You can add peas and sliced red bell peppers to the paella, while frying the chicken (but before adding the stock).
4. Don’t add too much stock else the rice will turn mushy.
5. Some people add the rice in a cross shape and then pour the stock over it, not stirring the rice. However, I prefer to saute the rice before adding stock.
6. Use a shallow pan, don’t crowd the rice. The ratio of meat to rice is high.
7. Mussels look great for presentation on top.