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Seafood and Chorizo Paella

A popular Spanish dish with rice, shrimp, clams, mussels, chorizo sausage and mixed vegetables. Paella originates in Valencia, a region on the Mediterranean coast of Spain.
Course: Entrée
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 12

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. ripe tomatoes cut in half
  • 1 med. onion chopped
  • 1 each red and green bell pepper chopped
  • 2 T. minced garlic
  • 5 tsp. sweet Spanish paprika
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 4 c. Spanish Valenciano or Arborio rice
  • 24 mussels scrubbed, beards removed
  • 24 small littleneck clams scrubbed
  • 24 shrimp shelled and deveined with tails intact
  • 1 1/4 lbs. cured Spanish chorizo cut into thin diagonal slices
  • 1 tsp. saffron threads
  • 9 c. low sodium chicken broth divided
  • 2 c. dry white wine
  • 7 T. olive oil for grilling
  • Coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley or green onions
  • Aioli :
  • 4 lg. cloves garlic
  • 1 lg. whole egg
  • 1 lg. egg yolk
  • 2 T. lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 c. Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 c. Canola oil

Instructions

  • Coarsely grate tomatoes into a bowl and discard skins. Place onion and bell peppers in another bowl. Measure garlic, paprika, and salt into a small bowl. Place rice, seafood, and chorizo each in a separate bowl.
  • Toast saffron in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add 6 cups broth and the wine, cover, bring to a boil, and keep hot. In a small saucepan, boil remaining broth; keep hot.
  • Meanwhile, make the aioli: In a food processor, mince 4 garlic cloves. Add 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, lemon juice, and 1 tsp. kosher salt; whirl to blend. With motor running, pour in 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil and 1/3 cup canola oil. Add more lemon juice and salt if you like. Chill until used. Makes 1 2/3 cups.
  • Heat grill to medium (350° to 400°). Bring prepped ingredients to grill, along with a long-handled wooden spoon, a slotted spoon, and oven mitts. For charcoal: Add 15 briquettes to fire just before cooking and cook with lid off until adding seafood. For gas: Keep lid closed as you cook.
  • Heat a 17-in. paella pan on grill. Add 3 tablespoons oil to pan, then brown chorizo, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer chorizo back to bowl.
  • Sauté onion and peppers in pan until onion is softened, 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and cook, stirring often, until liquid evaporates and paste turns a shade darker, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup oil and the garlic mixture; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Stir in rice, then pat it level.
  • Carefully pour hot saffron liquid over rice and scatter chorizo on top. Adjust position of grill if necessary so grill and liquid in pan are level. Maintain a steady simmer for 12 minutes, reducing heat (for gas) or airflow through vents (for charcoal grill) if needed.
  • And finally, add the seafood: Pour enough hot plain broth over paella so rice is just covered. Arrange mussels around rim of pan, almost touching, pushing them into liquid. Distribute remaining seafood over paella.
  • Cover grill. Cook until clams and mussels open and rice is al punto (al dente), 6 to 10 minutes. Remove paella from grill, drape with paper towels, and let stand about 5 minutes. Scatter parsley and/or green onions on top. Serve with the aioli.