Paella is a labor of love. It is a traditional Spanish dish that combines seafood, pork, chicken, and rice. This recipe does not pretend to be a traditional Valencian paella, but still results in a hearty and delicious meal with plenty of leftovers. The secret to paella is preparation: things will go a lot smoother if you chop and prep all ingredients before you start heating up the oil. If you can’t find the Sazon Goya, just make sure you add more salt to your liquid, as it should be a bit on the salty side. If you are not sure of the salt level, aim for less salty. You can always add more later.
Ingredients
- 10 large shrimp, with shells and tails still on
- 1/4 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 can (10 oz.) whole baby clams
- 3 chicken thighs, cubed
- 2 boneless pork chops, cubed
- 1 smoked pork sausage or chorizo
- 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes, or 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
- 2 envelopes Goya Sazón with Azafrán
- 2 cups white rice
- 1 cup green peas
- 1 small jar (2 oz.) sliced pimientos
- 10 stuffed green olives
- asparagus spears
- olive oil
Preparation
Combine the liquid from the clams, pimentos, and canned tomatoes in a large measuring cup. Add warm water until you have 3 cups of liquid, and dissolve the chicken bouillon and Sazon Goya packets in the liquid. Cover the bottom of a 15″ paella pan (you can use a large shallow skillet) with olive oil. Over medium heat, sauté onion, green pepper, and garlic until the onion is translucent and the green pepper is soft, about 5 minutes. Remove vegetables from pan and set aside. Sautee the pork, chicken, and sausage for 5 minutes. Add the sauteed vegetables and the tomatoes to the pan and cook for another 10 minutes over medium heat. Add the clams and rice and mix thoroughly. Add the liquid to the rice mixture, a bit at a time, and stir with a wooden spoon. The liquid should cover the rice and vegetables completely. Wait until the liquid is absorbed enough that the rice and vegetables are starting to show, and cover the paella and continue cooking over low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and all the liquid has been absorbed. (If you have an electric stove, you may have to keep the temperature at around 3. Any lower than that and the paella won’t cook.) Stir in the medium shrimp, and place the large shrimp on top of the paella. Cook covered over low heat for another 15 minutes or until the rice is cooked. Decorate the paella with asparagus spears, green olives, pimientos, and green peas.
