paella

Although Paella is a Spanish dish, we Filipinos have adopted it a long time ago and is served in our fiesta fare. When having special guests at home, one can serve just paella and salad because Paella has all the meat and seafood needed to make one feel special.

Good for 8 to 10 servings as main dish.

Ingredients:

  • 2 chicken thighs, boneless, cut each thigh into four
  • 250 grams pork rasher or belly cut into 1-inch by 2-inches length
  • 500 grams prawns – slit at the back and de-veined
  • 100 grams scallops
  • 1 piece calamari or 250 grams squid tubes – sliced into ¼-inch rounds
  • 2 blue swimmer crabs (alimasag) or mud crab (alimango)– remove top shell and air sac; cut crab into 4; save top shell if it has fat
  • 2 pieces Chorizo de Bilbao or 1 piece Spanish Chorizo – cut into ½-inch rounds
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • ½ cup chopped onions
  • ½ cup tomato paste
  • 3 cups broth (boil water and place 2 fish cubes) or cooking liquid from 1 kilo of mussels cooked in 3 cups water
  • pinch saffron
  • 1 teaspoon Tabasco (hot sauce) or Habanero sauce or ½ teaspoon cayenne powder
  • ¼ cup pimento (red capsicum) – roasted, peeled and sliced julienne
  • 2 cups Jasmine rice – wash and drain
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • salt to taste
  • ¼ cup Mirin (Japanese cooking rice wine) or ¼ cup white wine
  • grated cheddar/Edam cheese –for garnish
  • 1 hard boiled egg sliced into eight for garnish
  • 1 tablespoon green peas – cooked – for garnish

Procedure:

  1. Place large casserole over medium low heat; place olive oil and sauté garlic, onions and saffron till the onions are translucent. Set aside.
  2. In another skillet, place over medium heat and place ¼ cup olive oil. (add olive oil if necessary)
    Sear the pork spare ribs and remove.
    Sear the chicken and remove.
    Sear the prawns and remove.
    Sear the scallops and remove.
    Sear the calamari and remove.
  3. Go back to main casserole and add the tomato paste and continue sautéing for about 5 minutes.
  4. Add the broth and simmer for another 5 minutes.
  5. Season to taste. (Tabasco, salt and pepper)
  6. Add the Mirin/White wine.
  7. Place the pork spare ribs and chicken and simmer the chicken and pork for 15 minutes.
  8. Taste and season again.
  9. Add the rice and chorizo and mix well.
  10. Simmer on top of stove for 10 minutes.
  11. Remove from stove fire.
  12. In a pre-heated oven (180°C) place the casserole inside oven; cover and bake for 10 minutes.
  13. Remove cover and fluff rice; return cover and continue baking for another 15 minutes.
  14. Check on rice; fluff; and arrange crab and top shell on top and return to oven for another 10 – 15 minutes; or till cooked.
  15. Test rice for doneness.
  16. Arrange prawns, scallops, calamari, and pimento on top of rice.
  17. Grate cheese all over top.
  18. Garnish with hard boiled egg and green peas.
  19. Return to oven for another 5 minutes, uncovered.
  20. Serve.