DangerGirl's Red Paella

Paella is kind of like potato salad - there are few set rules (potato salad must have potatoes, paella must have rice) but then it's really any man's game and you can totally morph it to fit the way you like it. 

Traditional Paella features saffron, which is AMAZING, but pricey.  I alternate by using dried Ancho pepper, commonly found in Mexican cooking.  Don't worry, though very favourable, they don't actually provide heat.

 

Ingredients:

2 Boneless Chicken Breasts

6 Strips of thick cut bacon

2 Hot Italian Sausages

1 Tin of baby clams

1 bag (about 40) of Raw Shrimps Shelled and de-veined

2 yellow onions - chopped

1 Tin of Stewed Tomatoes

1 Lg. Carrot

1 Handful of green beans

2 Dried Ancho Chilies

3 Cups of Chicken Broth

1 Cup of Red Wine

2 cups of Arborio Rice(this really is a must - to deviate will completely alter your texture and flavour)

4-6 Bay Leaves

1 ½ tsp of crushed Rosemary

1 heaping tsp. of garlic powder

Olive oil

Some tools you should have ready:

Two small mixing bowls

A 4 Cup Measuring cup

A fry pan

A wok (in place of an actual Paella pan)

Measuring cups and spoons, cutting boards, knives, yadda-yadda

First things first – Prep:

Thaw and clean the shrimp.  When you get de-veined shrimp it’s been sliced along the top, there is another vein along the bottom that I always clean out as well.  As this will be the most tedious task, it’s best to get it over with first.  Once that task is done, rinse the shrimp and put them off to the side in a covered bowl.

Slice the tops off the dried anchos and rinse out the seeds.  Put them in a bowl and cover with boiling water to soften them up a bit.

Next, slice up the bacon and the sausage and put them off to the side, then cube up the chicken.

Put the bacon and sausage in a fry in a pan with onions.  While their frying, drain the baby clams over the 4 c measuring cup to save the liquid and put them in with the shrimp.

Add to the measuring cup 1 cup of red wine and then fill to 4C total with Chicken broth.  Pour the liquid into a blender and add the soften anchos, liquefy and put to the side.

Combine the liquid, stewed tomatoes, rice, rosemary, and bay leaves in the wok on high until boiling; then turn heat down to low and let it simmer.

Once the sausage, bacon and onions are cooked through, add them to the wok and start frying up the chicken and toss that in once fully cooked.  Follow it up by frying up the Shrimp and clams and add them to the wok.  Stir everything together and let simmer as the rice is cooking.

Chop up the beans to about ½” pieces and grate the carrot.  Add to the wok once the rice is cooked and let simmer, uncovered, while the excess liquid steams off. 

Remember to stir occasionally so that the rice doesn’t burn.

This recipe will serve 4 - 6 people.

Happy feasting!