Paella Mixta

A traditional Spanish rice dish, originally from Valencia

Paella originated in Valencia, but it is now served all over Spain and in Spanish restaurants internationally. While Valencianos are adamant that paella either contain meat, generally small game and sea snails, or seafood, and perhaps consider paella mixta an abomination, the rest of Spain is quite comfortable with allowing animals of both land and sea to share the same pan.

When we visited our friend Diego in Zaragoza, he insisted on taking us to a restaurant that made paella in a traditional way, not the boxed and frozen concoctions that are reheated and plated at so many tourist traps. He called the restaurant early in the morning so they would have it ready for our afternoon comida. The waiters proudly brought us our food in a pan the size of a garbage can lid, a steaming bed of yellow rice studded with meats and sausage and mussels and shrimp, the aroma of saffron and shellfish rising with the steam. We attacked at once and ate until our bellies were fit to burst, yet hardly put a dent in the indomitable dish.

Since arriving back in the states we have made it our mission to create the perfect paella. We have enlisted the aid of our cousin and fellow Spanophile, Davis. We get together every three months and resume the challenge, creating a paella feast that inspires drool from my family at the very mention of it. And each time we mercilessly critique our efforts, constantly raising the bar. I think that this version of our paella mixta comes pretty close to the mark.

Note: This recipe calls for the use of a paella pan and a Weber grill. The paella can be finished in the oven, but it will result in a paella that lacks the smoky flavor and soccarat (crust of rice) that develops when cooking over a fire.

Ingredients:

· Olive oil

· ½ lb shrimp with the shells on

· 5 c. chicken broth

· 1 bay leaf

· 1 sprig fresh rosemary

· 1 c. finely diced onions

· 1 c. finely diced red pepper

· 1 lb sausage (chorizo or spicy Italian sausage)

· 6 chicken legs, skin removed

· 3 Roma tomatoes, canned or fresh, shredded or finely diced

· 1 T paprika

· Salt

· 8 cloves chopped garlic

· 3 generous pinches of saffron

· 1 ½ c. short grained white rice (we use bomba rice)

· 1 lb small clams or mussels

· Green onion or parsley for garnish

· 1-2 lemons for garnish

Directions:

1. Place 25 briquettes in the Weber grill and light.

2. Peel and rinse the shrimp, reserving the shells.

3. Add the shrimp shells, bay leaf and rosemary sprig to the broth and simmer while preparing the other ingredients.

4. Cover the surface of a paella pan (a two-handled, oven-safe shallow pan – ours has a diameter of 10 ½ inches, flaring out to 14 inches at the rim) with olive oil. Sear the shrimp over medium heat, but do not cook through. Transfer to a small bowl.

5. Sauté the onions and peppers until tender, adding more oil if necessary. Transfer to a medium bowl.

6. Brown the chicken, adding oil if necessary. Transfer to the medium bowl with the vegetables.

7. Remove the sausages from their casings, making 4 small balls with the meat of each sausage. Brown the sausage. Add the paprika.

8. Add the garlic and tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Add the onion, red peppers, and chicken. Evenly distribute the ingredients in the pan.

9. Strain the broth into the pan. Sprinkle saffron and the rice evenly into the liquid. Add salt to taste.

10. Move the pan to the Weber grill and cover. The heat should be enough to boil the liquid throughout the pan, but not hot enough to scorch the rice.

11. Cook for about 30 minutes. The liquid should be absorbed and the rice tender. Additional cooking will develop the desired crust.

12. Arrange the shrimp and shellfish over the top of the paella. Cook until the shellfish open.

13. Remove from the grill and let stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.

14. Sprinkle with chopped parsley or green onion and lemon slices or wedges.