Paella my way

There are many takes on this, one of Spain's most famous dishes. This in fact is not technically a paella, but rather it's "arroz al horno" - baked rice. That said, we'll stick with the more familiar term: paella. I got the makings of this recipe from a TV show many years ago, where Mallorcan chef, Juan Santamaría, explained how he makes paella. I've made a few adjustments, and put together this method/framework that works for me. Fact is, I seldom do two that are exactly the same.

The large shallow round pan normally used is called a "paella", hence the name of the dish. I do have one, but it doesn't work well on my induction stove top, so I've opted for a 10" cast iron skillet, inherited from my grandmother. It works a treat.

Ingredients

• Sofrito - tomato, garlic, onion cooked down in olive oil (some leave out onion, I don't)
• Protein - chicken, pork, lamb, rabbit, sausage, etc.
• Vegetable - carrots, green beans, kale, leeks, lima beans, etc. Lightly cooked in the stock. Mushrooms are also very good, as are cooked white beans, garbanzos, fava beans and uncooked spinach.
• Rice (short grain), stock (or water), white wine, salt, pepper
• Spice - whatever combination you like: pimentón, curry, saffron, pepper, cayenne, chipotle, thyme, bay leaf, lemon grass, and so on. Other flavor additions: chorizo or bacon.

Peparation

• Preheat oven to 450º (top & bottom)
• Debone & cut meat in 1" chunks, lightly brown in 1/4" or so of good hot olive oil. Set meat aside (lightly salted), leave all the oil in the pan.
• Sofrito - sautee diced onion & garlic, when soft add tomato, add some salt & pepper. Cook down to a paste... or substitute 3 tablespoons of our sofrito recipe instead. Add spices.
• Add 1/8 to 1/4 cup of white wine, turn up heat for a minute or so to burn off the alcohol.
• Add vegetables & meat; stir it together, then add about 4 cups of hot stock (a bit less if there are lots of vegetables). Check salt. It should be a bit salty, the rice needs salt (like pasta).
• When it comes to a boil, add 2 cups of rice. Give it a quick stir (no more).
• When it comes back to a full boil, put it in the oven and cook at high temperature for 18 minutes. Don't cover!
• If you like a crispy bottom layer, remove from the oven and cook on the stove top on high heat for a couple of minutes, don't let it burn!
• Otherwise, just remove from oven, cover with a cloth and let it sit 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!

Notes:
1. Feel free to mix & match. Just maintain the same stock/rice ratio & cooking time.
2. Don't scrimp on oil or salt, they are essential.
3. Be sure to use something to give it a nice color: saffron or tumeric work well.
4. I like to serve it with a spicy yogurt sauce on the side: plain Greek yogurt, stir in tabasco, horseradish, sriracha, Worcestershire sauce, salt, etc. to taste.
5. If you can't find Spanish short grain rice, Arborio will work nicely, but it needs to cook a 2 or 3 minutes longer.

Recipe List