Southwestern Paella Recipes

Steps:

• Make the sofrito: In a heavy 12-inch skillet heat 3 tablespoons olive oil until hot, add the onions, and pepper strips and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, garlic, and thyme and cook, stirring for 5 minutes more, until most of the liquid in the pan evaporates and the mixture is thick.
• Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In the skillet heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over moderately high heat until hot. Add the chicken and cook it, turning. Add sausages and cook until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate and deglaze pan with 1/2 cup dry white wine.
• About a 30 minutes before you plan to serve the paella, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a 14-inch paella pan or shallow casserole at least 14-inches in diameter, combine the sofrito, rice, and the saffron. Pour in 5 cups simmering stock and, stirring constantly, bring to a boil over high heat. Remove the pan from the heat immediately and season with salt. Arrange the chicken, sausage, shrimp, clams, and mussels on top of the rice. Set the pan on the floor of the oven or the lowest shelf and bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Scatter the peas at random over the whole and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more or until all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice and the grains are tender but not too soft. If necessary, add the remaining cup stock, if the rice needs to be more soft. Do not stir the paella once it goes in oven.
• Let paella stand at room temperature covered with a cloth for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with the lemons and parsley.

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons olive oil, paprika, oregano, and salt and pepper. Stir in chicken pieces to coat. Cover, and refrigerate.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or paella pan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes, and rice. Cook, stirring, to coat rice with oil, about 3 minutes. Stir in saffron threads, bay leaf, parsley, chicken stock, and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Stir in marinated chicken and onion; cook 5 minutes. Stir in bell pepper and sausage; cook 5 minutes. Stir in shrimp; cook, turning the shrimp, until both sides are pink.
• Spread rice mixture onto a serving tray. Top with meat and seafood mixture.

Steps:

• Cut the chicken pieces and the pork into bite-sized pieces.
• Heat olive oil in a heavy kettle or Dutch oven over medium high heat and brown chicken and pork in small batches; remove from kettle and set aside.
• Add onions, tomatoes, and bell pepper and cook over medium heat until onion is tender but not browned.
• Take about a cup of broth , put it in a small sauce pan, add the Mexican saffron and bring to a boil to release the saffron's goodness and color.
• Place this and the rest of the liquid in the kettle, stir in the rice,add the spices,the chicken and pork and bring to a boil.
• Cover tightly, reduce heat, and simmer for 25 minutes.
• Stir in peas.
• If you wish to add the shrimp and fish, stir that in at this point.
• Cover tightly and simmer 15 minutes longer.
• Then carefully stir in artichoke hearts.
• Serve on a large platter and garnish with the pimentos.

Steps:

• Pregame prep: If you purchase your seafood more than 1 day prior to your tailgate, clean and freeze the fresh seafood items, with the exception of the scallops. Store the mussels and clams together, and the shrimp separately. The night before your tailgate, move frozen seafood to the refrigerator. Prepare and store in separate plastic bags the following ingredients: 1) chicken breasts, washed and patted dry, 2) onions and yellow pepper chopped, 3) tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, 4) measure out the rice. Game Day: Pack food on ice for transport. Once at the tailgate location, light the grill in the direct method. Brush the chorizo, chicken, and lobster tails with olive oil. When the grill is hot, cook in the following order turning occasionally: 1) chorizo sausages 15 to 20 minutes; 2) lobster tails 15 minutes; 3) chicken breast 10 minutes.
• As meat comes off the grill, chop the sausage, chicken and shelled lobster into 1-inch chunks and set aside.
• Place an extra large skillet or paella pan on a propane burner or the grill and heat 1/4 cup of olive oil. Saute the yellow peppers and onions. When the onions are translucent, stir in garlic, add rice, and saute for five minutes. Add 6 cups of chicken stock, tomatoes, saffron, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in chicken, lobster, and sausage. Reduce paella to a simmer as the fire subsides or turn the propane burner down to medium low. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes stirring occasionally to keep from burning.
• Test the rice. If needed, add an additional 1 to 2 cups of chicken broth stir and simmer another 10 minutes. When rice is cooked, stir the frozen peas, shrimp, and scallops into the skillet. Layer the mussels and clams on top, and cook until the mussels and clams open approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Stir before serving.