Traditional Paella
Serves: 5
Millie Galliher
A paella pan is a large, cast iron pan, 22 inches in diameter and 3 inches deep. You can use any large pan that can be placed in the oven.
Paella (from Spain) can be made using any combination of meats and seafood. It is a great fiesta food. When using chicken meat, the chicken feet were usually cooked in the rice. When served, the chicken feet went to the guests at the table. Very flavorful to gnaw on.
2 cupss Long grain white rice
4 cups water
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, not mexican saffron
1/2 cup olive oil
1 medium onion
1 green pepper, sliced thin
1 (25-ounce) can tomatoes or 2 large fresh tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Meats and seafoods (chickrn,port,sausage,shrimp,scallops,lobster,crawfish,clams,etc.)
1/4 - 1/2 cup frozen peas
1 lemon, thinly sliced
Bring water to a boil and pour over rice. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Clean seafood and brown meats in 1/4 C. olive oil in the large paella pan. Set aside to drain and clean out paella pan.
Add another 1/4 C. olive oil to paella pan and saute garlic, onions and peppers until they start to soften. Add tomatoes.(This is called the sofrito)
Drain liquid from the rice. Bring sofrito to a boil and add the rice. Let cook until the rice is dry on the outside, Add saffron and stir in.
Arrange meat and seafood on top and scatter frozen peas on top. Place in the oven at 350° for about 20 to 25 minutes. (If cooking outsice, cook until all ingredients are done.)
Place clean towel on top of paella and let sit for 5 minutes until all liquid is absorbed into rice. Serve with lemon slices.
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.