Spring Chicken Paella Recipes

EASY CHICKEN PAELLA

Steps:

• To a large skillet (15+ inches in diameter if possible) or paella pan, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, onion, pepper, and sauté over medium-high heat until vegetables begin to soften and lightly caramelize, about 5 to 8 minutes; stir intermittently.
• Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute; stir intermittently. Remove the sofrito (the onion, pepper, and garlic) from the pan; set aside.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook the chicken until it's about 50% cooked through, stirring and flipping intermittently. Remove from the pan; set aside with the sofrito.
• Add the bomba rice and cook to toast the rice for about 3 minutes, stirring intermittently.
• To the chicken broth, add 1 packet Paellero, and stir to combine. Add the chicken broth to the rice.
• Add the sofrito and chicken back to the skillet, add the tomatoes, 1 cup water, and simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 to 25 minutes or until rice is tender, chicken is cooked through, and liquid is absorbed. If necessary, you may need to add more than 1 cup water (or chicken broth) based on the texture of the rice. Taste it near the end of the cooking period and if it's too firm and all the liquid is absorbed or nearly so, add a bit more water using your judgment.
• Add the peas, parsley, stir to combine, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to warm through.
• Taste the paella and add salt and pepper, if necessary, to taste. The saltiness of the chicken broth, tomatoes, whether you used Paellero, and personal preference for salt and pepper will dictate how much to use. I used about 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
• Garnish with lemon wedges and serve immediately.

CHICKEN PAELLA WITH SHERRY VINEGAR

Steps:

• Pre-heat your oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 5.
• In a medium size paella pan (34cm diameter) or a large shallow casserole dish, heat one tablespoon of the oil. Once hot, add the chicken pieces and fry for about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside. Allow the paella pan to cool down for a couple of minutes.
• While the pan is cooling down, in a small frying pan, gently toast on some tin foil the saffron threads for about 30 seconds, be careful not to burn them. This will release the essential oils within the saffron threads. Pour the saffron threads into a pestle and mortar and pound them until you obtain a fine powder. Pour 2 tablespoons of the hot chicken stock and mix well. The saffron powder will blend better into the hot liquid, so when you pour it into the paella rice, the saffron liquid will spread evenly.
• Add the remaining olive oil to the paella pan and gently fry the chopped garlic and spring onions until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the paella rice and stir for a few minutes on a gentle heat until the rice is slightly translucent. Return the fried pieces of chicken and mix well. Add the sherry vinegar, stir and allow the vinegar to reduce and completely evaporate. Add the smoked paprika and stir the rice for 30 seconds, followed by the tomato sofrito. Once the tomato sauce has cooked into the rice, pour in the hot chicken stock, followed by the saffron infused stock. Season with salt and spread the rice out evenly to cover the bottom of the paella pan. Bring to the boil. If you have a timer, set it to 17 minutes. The first 5 minutes, cook the paella on a very high heat until the rice rises to the surface. Check the stock for seasoning and add some more salt if necessary. Add the blanched broad beans, stir the rice and place the pan in the oven. After 12 minutes, remove the pan from the oven.
• Allow the paella to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

CHICKEN PAELLA

Steps:

• For the chicken: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Heat a large enameled cast-iron pot over medium-high heat, and add the oil. Mix the chili powder, cumin and coriander together in a bowl. Sprinkle the chicken liberally with salt and pepper and the spice mixture. Add the chicken to the pot, skin-side down, and sear until the skin is golden brown; flip, and sear for another 3 minutes. Remove the chicken thighs to a small baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Bake until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Remove and let rest.
• For the rice: Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in the pot that was used for the chicken. Add the onions, peppers, celery, marjoram and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the onions become translucent, then add the garlic; cook for another 3 minutes. Add tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes. Add the rice and saute for 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer. Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes, or until rice is cooked.
• Let the rice sit for at least 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Add the cilantro, and season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Garnish with avocado and olives.

CHICKEN AND SHRIMP PAELLA

Steps:

• Season chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Add the olive oil to a large 10-12 inch skillet pan. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Fry the chicken on both sides and cook until golden for about 10 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
• In the same pan, add the chopped onion and red pepper, and sauté until translucent for about 4 minutes. Add an additional tablespoon of olive oil if needed. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
• Add mushrooms, diced tomatoes, salt, smoked paprika, and sauté for an additional 2 minutes.
• Stir in the hot chicken broth, saffron threads, and soy sauce, and heat to bring to a boil.
• Add the rice, and place the browned chicken on top of the rice. Do not move the chicken or stir the rice. It all cooks in one place. Return to a boil for 15 minutes.
• Add shrimp and peas on top of the rice, and heat for an additional 5 minutes.
• Cover skillet with a lid and let rest for 5 minutes.
• Serve and garnish with lemon wedges, green onion, and chopped parsley.

THE ULTIMATE PAELLA

Steps:

• Combine the paprika and oregano in a small bowl. Rub the spice mix all over the chicken and marinate chicken for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
• Heat oil in a paella pan over medium-high heat. Saute the chorizo until browned, remove and reserve. Add chicken skin-side down and brown on all sides, turning with tongs. Add salt and freshly ground pepper. Remove from pan and reserve.
• In the same pan, make a sofrito by sauteing the onions, garlic, and parsley. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes on a medium heat. Then, add tomatoes and cook until the mixture caramelizes a bit and the flavors meld. Fold in the rice and stir-fry to coat the grains. Pour in water and simmer for 10 minutes, gently moving the pan around so the rice cooks evenly and absorbs the liquid. Add chicken, chorizo, and saffron. Add the clams and shrimp, tucking them into the rice. The shrimp will take about 8 minutes to cook. Give the paella a good shake and let it simmer, without stirring, until the rice is al dente, for about 15 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, when the rice is filling the pan, add the lobster tails. When the paella is cooked and the rice looks fluffy and moist, turn the heat up for 40 seconds until you can smell the rice toast at the bottom, then it's perfect.
• Remove from heat and rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with peas, parsley and lemon wedges.

CHICKEN & CHORIZO PAELLA

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan over a high heat. Brown the chicken all over - don't cook completely. Once browned, transfer to a plate.
• Reduce the heat to low, add the onions and cook slowly until softened, about 10 mins. Add the garlic, stir for 1 min, then toss in the chorizo and fry until it releases its oils.
• Stir in the spices, then tip in the rice. Stir to coat the rice in the oils and spices for about 2 mins, then pour in the stock. Bring to the boil, return the chicken to the pan and simmer for about 20 mins, stirring occasionally.
• Add the peas to the pan and simmer for a further 5 mins until the rice is cooked and the chicken is tender. Season well and serve with the lemon and parsley.