The ideal company meal is (in my opinion) one which requires minimal mess and last-minute fuss yet appears, to one’s unsuspecting guests, tremendously complicated and exotic and creates the illusion that one really knocked oneself out for them.
By these criteria, paella is perfect.
- It’s terribly good, and extremely flexible and forgiving. Pretty impossible to mess up, in fact.
- Except for cutting boards and such, it involves exactly one pan and one bowl – very low cleanup factor.
- It can be made up early in the day, set aside, and then tucked into the oven before guests arrive, allowing one to appear breezily efficient and in perfect control of the meal and therefore, by extension, all aspects of one’s life.
Not that we had guests this weekend. I simply hankered for paella and I could use me some of that in-control feeling these days.
Here’s the lineup:
First chop up some chicken breasts and mix the pieces with some olive oil, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper.
Cover the bowl (this is the one bowl of which I speak) and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Heat a bit more oil in a 15” paella pan over medium heat. No paella pan? No problem. Any broad, shallow stovetop- and oven-proof pot, skillet or roaster will do. This is the only pan you will need.
When the oil is shimmery, stir in lots of whole garlic cloves, a chopped onion and red pepper flakes; sauté until onion is translucent and garlic begins to brown.
Add the marinated chicken and some chopped chorizo; cook, stirring, until browned.
Dump in a chopped red pepper and some medium-grain rice, and stir until the rice is well-oiled.
Now add saffron, a bay leaf, parsley, drained clams (keep the juice!), and drained tomatoes (keep the juice!).
A note about my saffron – it was a gift from a colleague who picked it up on a business trip to Spain
(At this point, you may wish – as I did – to cover the pan and put it in the fridge until about 1 ¼ hours before serving time.)
Increase heat to high and add a quart of liquid – a mixture of the reserved clam and tomato juices and chicken stock is very flavorful – along with the zest of two lemons. Bring it to a boil, then turn off the flame and stir in some frozen peas.
Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake in a preheated 400º oven until liquid is almost absorbed and rice is tender. This takes exactly an hour but I always start checking around 45 minutes because I’m insecure that way.
Uncover the pan and arrange raw shrimp on top of the rice. Put the foil back on and bake for 5-10 more minutes. The shrimp should be barely cooked.
Serve immediately with plenty of hot sauce and good bread upon which to smoosh the garlic.
Variations (all of which add interest but also time, pots and pans, chopping and/or cleanup – fair warning):
- Substitute eight whole chicken thighs for the white meat. Leave the skin on and throw them on the grill for a few minutes (or brown them in the paella pan before you cook off the onions).
- Fresh clams or mussels instead of canned make a nice rustic presentation with shells and all. Tuck them down into the rice mixture just before you cover and bake it, and remove any that do not open after 45 minutes or an hour.
- Cook the shrimp separately on the grill and stir into the rice at the last minute, just so they heat through.
- Squid is a fun change-up; it takes the same amount of time to cook as the shrimp.
- In re. squid: can someone please explain to me how the same teenager who can’t look at a mussel without gagging will enthusiastically scarf down tentacles?
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon paprika (smoked if you can find it)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
salt and black pepper to taste
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 heads garlic, cloves peeled
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
1 pound chorizo sausage, quartered lengthwise & sliced ¼” thick
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 cups uncooked medium-grain white rice
1 pinch saffron threads
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup, packed, minced fresh parsley
2 6.5-oz cans chopped clams, drained, juice reserved
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes, drained, juice reserved
Reserved clam and tomato juice plus enough chicken stock to total 1 quart
Zest of 2 lemons
2 c frozen peas
2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
In a large bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons olive oil, paprika, oregano, and salt and pepper. Stir in chicken pieces to coat. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in 15” paella pan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, onion and red pepper flakes; sauté until onion is translucent and garlic begins to brown. Add chicken and sausage; cook, stirring, until browned. Add red bell pepper and rice and cook, stirring, to coat rice with oil, about 3 minutes; add more oil if necessary. Stir in saffron threads, bay leaf, parsley, clams, and tomatoes. (At this point, the dish can be covered and refrigerated until you are ready to bake it.)
Add chicken stock and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and stir in peas. Seal tightly with foil. Place in preheated 400º oven and bake 1 hour or until liquid is almost absorbed.
Remove from oven and stir. Arrange shrimp evenly over the top of the rice, cover, and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes or until shrimp are barely opaque.
Serves 8.
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