Land Lubbers Paella Recipes

LAND LUBBER'S PAELLA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Salt & pepper chicken.
• In a large, oven proof skillet with a lid, heat oil and saute chicken till brown, but not cooked through.
• Remove chicken from skillet.
• Return skillet to heat and add kielbasa, onion, and bell pepper.
• Saute till kielbasa is brown, and onion & bell pepper are soft.
• Add diced tomato and return chicken to skillet.
• Stir in chicken stock, rice, turmeric and bay leaf.
• Bring to a boil.
• Sprinkle peas over the top.
• Cover the skillet and place in the oven.
• Cook till liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked, approx 25 minutes.

PAELLA OF THE LAND

Steps:

• Build a medium-hot fire in your grill (when ready, you can hold your hand about 6 inches above the grill for only 2 or 3 seconds).
• Season the chicken thighs and rabbit liberally with salt and pepper. Put the thighs, then the rabbit, then the chorizo (if using fresh) on the grill and sear well without cooking through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side for each. (If using dried chorizo, simply slice into chunks and add in step 5.) As each is seared, remove from the grill and set aside. As soon as the chorizo is cool enough, slice it diagonally into bite-size chunks.
• Meanwhile, combine the chicken broth, wine and saffron in a medium saucepan, bring just to a simmer, then set on the side of the grill to keep warm.
• Place a large paella pan on the grill, add the olive oil and heat until hot but not smoking. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 3 minutes, adjusting the pan on the heat as needed to prevent burning. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then add the jamón and cook, stirring, until it is just heated through, about 3 or 4 minutes.
• Add the rice and stir until well coated, then add the tomatoes and smooth out the rice to an even thickness. Slowly and without stirring, add enough of the broth mixture to leave just a thin layer of broth above the rice, then tuck the chicken, rabbit and chorizo pieces into the rice. Simmer slowly, moving the pan around on the fire as needed to keep the simmer going; avoid boiling. Gently add small amounts of liquid as needed so it's not totally dry. When the rice is creamy and just al dente and the chicken, rabbit and chorizo are cooked through (should take 20 to 35 minutes), remove pan from heat and stir in the peas, if using. If using pimento strips, place on top.

NEXT LEVEL PAELLA

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a wide, shallow pan. Add the prawn heads and parsley stalks and sizzle until the heads turn pink, then mash with a potato masher. Pour over the sherry or wine and 300ml water, season with salt and simmer for 10 mins to make a stock, mashing the prawn heads as they cook.
• Scatter the mussels into the pan, cover the pan loosely with a lid or tea towel, then put over a high heat for 3-4 mins until the mussels just open. Stir to release the mussel juices, then pour the contents of the pan into a colander set over a large bowl containing the saffron. Let the saffron steep in the stock - you will need 700ml in total, so top up with water if needed and give everything a good stir. Pick the mussels out from the colander, then set aside.
• Wipe out the pan and add the rest of the olive oil. Sizzle the chorizo until it releases its oil, then add the onion and garlic and cook until softened. Add the squid and turn over until it turns white. Add the tomatoes and cook down for a minute, then pour over most of the stock, give everything a good stir and bring to the boil. Scatter the rice over the stock, stir well once, then boil vigorously for 5 mins. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and slowly simmer for 10 mins without stirring until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid.
• Tuck the prawn tails into the rice and simmer for 5 mins, turning them over until cooked through. Stir through the mussels and broad beans or peas. Taste the rice - if it is still a little raw but the pan is dry, add a splash more stock and continue to cook; if it's too soupy, then increase the heat to cook off the last of the stock.
• Once the rice is just cooked, turn off the heat and cover with a tea towel for a few minutes. Scatter over the parsley leaves and lemon zest, then season with smoked salt if you like. Stir everything once, then serve straight from the pan, with lemon wedges on the side.

QUICK AND EASY PAELLA

Steps:

• Cook and stir reserved shrimp shells and 2 teaspoons olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat until shells are pink and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir saffron into shells; add chicken broth, bring to a simmer, and cook until broth is a rusty brown and fragrant, about 20 minutes.
• Strain saffron broth through a fine-mesh sieve; measure out 2 cups of broth, pour into a small saucepan, and place over low heat to keep broth hot.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Cook chorizo slices in hot oil until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Add onion to sausage; cook and stir until soft and slightly translucent, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low.
• Stir garlic into chorizo mixture; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add rice to skillet and stir to coat rice completely in oil; stir in peas.
• Pat rice mixture evenly into the bottom of the skillet. Arrange shrimp in a single layer over the top of the rice. Lay pepper strips around and in between shrimp; season with salt, paprika, and cayenne pepper.
• Increase heat to high. When rice begins to sizzle in the skillet, pour reserved 2 cups hot saffron broth over the shrimp; gently shake the skillet to distribute liquid.
• Bake rice mixture in the preheated oven until rice is almost tender and still a bit wet, about 20 minutes.
• Place skillet over medium-high and cook until rice is tender, liquid is absorbed, and rice caramelizes and crusts slightly on the bottom of the skillet, 3 to 5 minutes.

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.

SEAFOOD PAELLA

Steps:

• Place stock in saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and add saffron. Set aside. Rub monkfish with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat remaining oil in 17-inch paella pan, placed over 2 burners if necessary, or divide between two pans. Add onion and garlic and cook over low heat until soft. Add chorizo and saute briefly. Add rice and stir to coat.
• Add stock and stir. Simmer 10 minutes. Check seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary. Stir in peas and place strips of peppers, alternating colors, around pan like spokes on a wheel. Place shrimp and monkfish around pan; add mussels, hinge-side down.
• Place in oven and bake until shrimp and monkfish are cooked and mussels have opened, about 15 minutes. Discard any unopened mussels. Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil and set aside 10 minutes. Scatter scallions on top and serve.