Recipe courtesy of Peggy Lampman, DinnerFeed.com
Paella is to Spain what risotto is to Italy — a traditional rice-based dish important to the culinary heritage of each country — the varietal of rice used and method of cooking the rice is critical to the authenticity of the resulting dish. Properly cooked paella should have a caramelized and slightly crisp crust know as the soccarat. Unlike a risotto, which must be continuously stirred, when making paella, the bottom of the paella pan must not be disturbed after all the ingredients are added to develop the crackly layer.
Hands down, the Big Green Egg helps me to achieve paella worthy of a fine Spanish kitchen, lending hardwood smoky elements to the flavor profile, and allowing me to fine tune the heat of the flame insuring the fire was hot enough to achieve the crusty, chewy crust. I understand that traditional paella is cooked over an open flame (uncovered), but I enjoy the added smokiness that results from cooking in an EGG with a closed dome – Peggy Lampman
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon saffron threads
- 1½ cup white wine
- 2½ cups seafood or chicken stock
- 4 small chicken thighs, skin-on, bone-in
- 1 tablespoon sweet Spanish paprika
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 large link chorizo, cut into 6-8 (1 to 1½") pieces
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
- 1 1/3 cups Bomba rice
- 8 clams
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 8 mussels
- 8 sea scallops
- 8 large shrimp, peeled*
- 3 Piquillo pepper slices (or small pieces of roasted red peppers), cut into thin strips
- 1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30-60 minutes depending on temperature of the EGG
Set the EGG for direct cooking at 400ºF/204ºC.
Stir the onions into the wok around the chicken and when just softened, add chorizo. When beginning to sizzle, add the garlic and cook 30-60 seconds, stirring to ensure it does not burn. Then stir in the rice; heat two minutes without stirring, then pour saffron-wine-stock mixture into the pan.
With the dome closed, let the rice bubble, stirring occasionally, and cook until just beginning to tenderize and some stock remains, but is not soupy, about 15 minutes. If soupy, continue cooking until reduced.
Tuck clams and tomatoes into rice and cover and cook 3 minutes. Then tuck mussels, scallops and shrimp into mixture and cook until clams and mussels are open and scallops and shrimp are just cooked through, adding peppers and peas in the last minute of cooking time. Serve with lemon wedges.
*If using extra large shrimp, tuck them into the pan when clams are added.
Serves 6
Absolutely amazing paella! I had tried 3 other recipes befor this one with no luck until now. It made for the perfect New Year’s Eve dinner for our family party of three.
Yes, you can still use it, just close the bottom draft door.
Amazing recipe! We try to make it once a week. It’s epic!
So amazing! We have made it once a week all during quarantine!
Can this recipe be doubled in this pan?
No. It fills the pan completely as written
What size pan should be used?
4 quart/3.8 liter – is the size of the BGE pan