Paella Valenciana Recipe

Paella
Paella Valenciana

A Filipino adaptation of the famous Valencian dish that makes a satisfying one-pot meal for 4–6 people. Your guests will not believe how simple it is to prepare!

• 10 fresh medium shrimp (about 7 oz/200 g), shelled and deveined, tails intact
• 2 fresh crabs (about 3 lbs/11/2 kg total)
• 5 cups (11/4 liters) water
• 2 medium squid (about 10 oz/300 g), cleaned and cut into rings
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) olive oil
• 8 oz (250 g) pork tenderloin, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika or ground red pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 2 cups (400 g) uncooked long-grain rice
• 4 tablespoons canned tomato purée
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 bell pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks
• 1/2 cup (60 g) fresh or frozen green peas
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered or sliced
• One 3-in (8-cm) chorizo de Bilbao or pepperoni sausage, thinly sliced
• Generous pinch of saffron mixed with 1 teaspoon water
• Salt and pepper, to taste

1 Season the shrimp lightly with the salt and pepper, and set aside.

2 Boil the crabs in the water for 20 minutes or until cooked. When cooked, remove the crabs, quarter them, crack the shells and claws, and set aside. Reserve the water.

3 Blanch the squid in the reserved crab water until cooked, about 3 minutes. Remove the squid and set aside in a bowl of cold water. Strain and reserve 33/4 cups (925 ml) of the crab-squid broth.

4 Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or casserole dish. Add the pork, paprika, garlic, onion and chorizo slices, and stir-fry for a few minutes. Then add the rice and stir-fry until lightly browned. Add the tomato purée, reserved broth and bay leaf, and stir for a few minutes. Add the bell pepper and saffron, and bring to a boil.

5 Remove from the heat and bake in the preheated oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Arrange the seasoned shrimp, crab, squid and peas on the rice, and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and decorate with the hard-boiled eggs. Transfer to the dining table and serve immediately.

Serves 4–6
Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 1 hour 10 mins