Garlicky Clam Paella Recipes

PAELLA WITH CHORIZO, SHRIMP, CLAMS AND CHICKEN WITH GARLIC AIOLI

Steps:

• For the paella: Add the chicken stock, saffron threads and shrimp shells to a medium saucepan and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, coat the paella pans generously with olive oil. Add the chorizo, dividing it between the two pans. Set the pans over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the chorizo is crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the chicken to the pans and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is beginning to brown, but isn't cooked all the way through.
• Add the garlic, celery, onions, peppers and tomato to a food processor and pulse until chopped into a coarse paste. Add to the paella pans and cook until all of the liquid has evaporated and the veggies are soft and slightly caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add the peas and cook 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add about 1/2 cup of the stock to each pan and stir, making sure to scrape up the fond from the bottom of the pans. Season to taste with salt. Add about another cup of the stock to each pan, then bring the liquid to a boil.
• Add the rice and stir until thoroughly combined. Nestle the clams into the rice and cook for 5 minutes. Nestle the shrimp into the rice and simmer until the shrimp are pink and cooked through and the clams have fully opened, 5 minutes.
• For the aioli: Meanwhile, add the vinegar, garlic and egg yolks to a food processor and process until combined. With the machine running, slowly add the oil to emulsify the mixture. Season to taste with salt.
• For serving: Garnish with the chives and a drizzle of aioli.

PASTA PAELLA WITH CLAMS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes. Remove to a plate using a slotted spoon. Add the pasta to the skillet and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until toasted, about 3 minutes.
• Add the paprika and garlic to the skillet. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add 2 cups water, the green beans, olives and chorizo; nestle the clams in the skillet. Cover and cook until the pasta is tender and the clams open, 8 to 10 minutes. (Discard any unopened clams.) Stir in the piquillo pepper and parsley. Serve with lemon wedges.

WEEKNIGHT SEAFOOD PAELLA

Steps:

• Clean the clams and soak in cold water for 20 minutes.
• Transfer the shrimp to a bowl and season with 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice and Old Bay.
• Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium heat.
• Add 1 teaspoon of oil and sauté the chorizo, onions, garlic and paprika until soft, about 3 minutes.
• Push aside, add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in the center and add the rice, stirring to coat with the oil. Sauté 3 minutes.
• Add the diced tomatoes, broth, salt, saffron threads (crumbled between fingers) and bay leaf.
• Mix and bring to a boil, stirring once, place the bell pepper over the rice, reduce heat to low and cover tightly, cook 15 minutes. Uncover, add the clams, shrimp and peas.
• Cover tightly again and cook on low heat until the clams open up and the shrimp are cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes.
• Uncover the skillet, raise the heat to medium-high and cook to toast the bottom of the rice, you should hear it sizzling, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Discard the bay leaf and garnish with parsley.

FREEKEH PAELLA WITH CLAMS AND ALMOND AIOLI

Steps:

• Almond aioli:
• Preheat oven to 350°. Toast almonds on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 5-8 minutes. Let cool.
• Pulse almonds and garlic in a food processor or blender until finely ground. With motor running, gradually stream in oil, lemon juice, then 1/4 cup water; process, adding water as needed, until aioli is light, smooth, and consistency of mayonnaise; season with salt. Cover; chill.
• Do ahead: Aioli can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.
• Paella:
• Pulse onions in a food processor until finely chopped; transfer to a large bowl. Repeat, separately, with carrots, garlic, and chile, adding to bowl with onions as you go. Pulse chorizo in food processor until finely ground.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium and cook chorizo, stirring often, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chorizo to a plate.
• Add vegetables and bay leaf to skillet; season with salt. Cook, stirring often, until moisture is evaporated and vegetables have started to brown, 12-15 minutes; this is your flavor base.
• Add freekeh and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until darkened in color, about 2 minutes. Stir in chorizo and 4 1/2 cups water; season with salt. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook, adding more water if liquid evaporates too quickly, until grains are al dente and almost all liquid is absorbed, 45-50 minutes. Nestle clams in freekeh and cover skillet. Cook until clams open, 7-10 minutes; discard any that don't open, along with bay leaf. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until clam juices evaporate and freekeh is tender, about 5 minutes.
• Top with pickled peppers and parsley; serve with aioli and lemon wedges.

SEAFOOD PAELLA

Steps:

• Fry the onion in the oil in a 16-inch paella pan until soft, stirring often. Stir in the garlic, and before it begins to color, add the tomatoes. Add the sugar, salt to taste, pimentón (or paprika), and saffron, stir well, and cook until the tomatoes are reduced to a jammy sauce and the oil is sizzling. Add the squid and cook, stirring, for a minute or so. Add the rice and stir well until all the grains are coated. (You can prepare the dish to this point up to an hour in advance.)
• Bring the stock and wine to a boil in a saucepan. Pour over the rice, bring to a boil, and add salt to taste (even if the broth tastes a bit salty, it will not be salty when it is absorbed by the rice). Stir well and spread the rice out evenly in the pan (do not stir again). Cook the rice over low heat for 18 to 20 minutes, moving the pan around and rotating it so that the rice cooks evenly. Lay the shrimp on top after 10 minutes and turn them when they have become pink on the first side. Add a little more hot stock toward the end if the rice seems too dry and you hear crackly frying noises before it is done. When the rice is done, turn off the heat and cover the pan with a large piece of foil.
• Steam the mussels with a finger of water in a pan with a tight-fitting lid. As soon as they open, they are cooked. Throw away any that have not opened.
• Arrange the mussels on top of the paella.

SPICY CLAM & PORK PAELLA

Steps:

• Heat half the olive oil in a paella pan or a large frying pan. Tip in the pork and cook for about 5 mins until lightly browned, but not cooked through. Remove from the pan, then set aside on a plate. Pour the remaining olive oil into the pan, then add in the onion, garlic and chorizo. Cook for about 5 mins until the onion is softened and the chorizo is starting to crisp and give off its oil.
• Add the rice and paprika to the pan, then stir around for 1-2 mins until all the grains of rice are well coated. Can be prepared up to this point 1 day in advance and stored in the fridge.
• Pour the tomatoes and any juices into the pan along with the pork and 900ml of the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, then let it gently simmer for about 20 mins until the rice is nearly soft. Place the spinach in a sieve, then pour over a kettle of boiling water so the leaves are just wilted. Arrange the spinach leaves in the pan along with the clams. Pour over the remaining 100ml vegetable stock, then cook for another 10 mins. By this time the clams should have opened (discard any that haven't) and the rice should be tender. Serve straight away from the pan.

EASY PAELLA

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons olive oil, paprika, oregano, and salt and pepper. Stir in chicken pieces to coat. Cover, and refrigerate.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or paella pan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes, and rice. Cook, stirring, to coat rice with oil, about 3 minutes. Stir in saffron threads, bay leaf, parsley, chicken stock, and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Stir in marinated chicken and onion; cook 5 minutes. Stir in bell pepper and sausage; cook 5 minutes. Stir in shrimp; cook, turning the shrimp, until both sides are pink.
• Spread rice mixture onto a serving tray. Top with meat and seafood mixture.