Paella, Valencia-Style

This is a traditional recipe from the coastal regions in southeastern Spain.

• Seafood Recipes
• Party Menu: Dinner
• Family Dinner
• Party Planning

Paella lends itself to an endless array of variations, so if you don't like snails or eel, substitute other meat or seafood that you do like.

Preparation time: 25 minutes plus 10 minutes to stand
Cooking time: 30 minutes

You Will Need
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
1 roasting chicken (or rabbit), boned and cut into small chunks, weighing about 1 pound
3 cups short-grain rice
1 1/2 quarts boiling water
2 pounds snails, clams, or shrimp, cleaned
2 artichoke hearts, cleaned and chopped
8 ounces green beans, cut into short lengths
1 3/4 cups peas
1 pound mussels, in shell
1 pound eel or tuna, cleaned and chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
8-10 threads saffron, crumbled


What to Do
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat the oil in a paella pan or large frying pan about 18 inches in diameter over medium heat. Sauté the garlic for 2-3 minutes. Discard the garlic.

2. Brown the chicken in the same pan for 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir until well coated with oil. Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Add the snails, artichokes, green beans, peas, mussels, and eel. Season with salt and pepper. Add the bay leaf and saffron. Continue cooking over medium-high heat until the liquid has almost all been absorbed.

3. Discard any clams or mussels that do not open. The rice grains should still be slightly crunchy and there should still be some liquid in the pan. Bake in the oven, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Cover the pan with foil or parchment paper and let stand for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

Serves 6-8

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