Paella

I cooked this for our New Year's Eve Dinner. It was my second time to make Paella. The first one was a dry run cooking last December 29, just making sure that I wont make palpak on New Year's eve dinner. I guess I didnt since the husband himself requested me to make this for last night celebration. :)

Anyway, to make this version of Paella you need;

4 onions, chopped thinly

1 clove garlic, minced

1 bell pepper, dice

3 tomato, remove seed & diced

2-3 pieces chicken cut into cubes

3 pcs Spanish chorizo cut in cubes

1 cup short grain rice, (I used arborio rice used in making risotto)

2 tbs saffron

1 tsp spanish paprika

5-6 mussels, scrubbed and cleaned

6 shrimps (sugpo)

2 cups chicken broth

3-4 squids cut in ring

¼ cup frozen green peas

2 tsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet brown chicken and sausage with 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat for about 5 to 6 minutes. Leaving the chicken partly cook. Set aside.

Since I dont have a paella pan (paellera), I used a large skillet. Drizzle olive oil add onions until caramelized then add garlic, tomatoes and green bellpepper. Cook until everything are mushy (about 45 minutes in low heat). This vegtable paste is called sofrito. The base for our paella.

Then add the broth to our sofrito. Season with salt and pepper. Add the saffron and paprika. Then add the cup of rice and make sure that the rice is evenly distributed and wait for this to simmer. Do not stir the mixture from here. Add the chicken and chorizo and nestling them into the rice. Cook covered with of alumninum foil for 15 minutes. Then add the shrimp and mussels and squid. Cover again with aluminum foil until the seafoods are cook. Then throw in the green peas. Then cover it again with aluminum foil.

When the broth is fully absorbed, the paella should be ready. I cooked mine in low heat for about in 25-30 minutes.

Garnish with lemon or calamansi and sliced boiled eggs.
Serve and Enjoy