Paella Valenciana Recipe

Takes 30 to 45 minutes Cooks about an hour Makes 15 to 17 servings

Paella Valenciana Ingredients:

• 1 kilo chicken, cut into small pieces
• Juice from 3 pieces calamansi
• ½ kilo pork kasim (round), cubed
• ¼ cup cooking oil
• ½ kilo white onions, diced
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 red & green bell pepper, diced
• 315 g chorizo Bilbao
• ¼ kilo cooked ham, cubed
• 1 pinch saffron
• 1 kilo medium-size white shrimps
• calamansi juice
• 1 cup pure olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed into a paste
• 2 cups uncooked Calrose rice
• salt and pepper
• 1 red & green bell pepper, cut into long triangle shapes

Instructions:

1. Marinate the chicken in calamansi juice.
2. In a pan, heat some oil then brown the chicken and pork. Set aside.
3. Add some olive oil to the pan and cook the onions until tender.
4. Add tomato sauce then the ham, chicken and pork, diced peppers, chorizo, and saffron.
5. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Remove the pork and put in a separate pan.
7. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook until tender.
8. Strain the sautéed mixture to separate the paella liquid from the fillings.
9. Remove the chorizo and cut into ¼ inch rounds.
10. Add back to the mixture together with the cooked pork.
11. Save the cooking liquid of the pork and add to the paella liquid.
12. Cook 8 whole shrimps in a pan with 7 pieces sliced calamansi and some water.
13. Cook only until the shrimps turn pink but are tender.
14. Marinate the rest of the peeled shrimps in calamansi juice. Set aside.
15. Preheat the over to 250°F.
16. In a pan, heat some olive oil and brown the mashed garlic.
17. Put the garlic in a 15-inch paellera.
18. Add the Calrose rice and ¼ cup olive oil.
19. Mix well, making sure that each grain is coated with oil.
20. Set the paellera over high heat on the stove.
21. Pour in 2 cups of the paella liquid.
22. Cook over high heat for 5 minutes, moving the paellera and stirring the rice around to distribute the heat.
23. Wait until the rice has absorbed some of the liquid before adding ¾ cup more of the liquid.
24. Stir and allow more liquid to be absorbed.
25. Transfer the paellera into the preheated oven.
26. Allow the rice to cook 10 minutes covered. Add more liquid if necessary.
27. Open the oven door, and pull out the paellera slightly.
28. Add the paella filling into the rice mixture piece by piece. Do not stir again.
29. Add more liquid and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes; or until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
30. Top the paella with the peeled white shrimps.
31. Cover the pan allowing the shrimps to cook until they are pink but still tender.
32. Add more liquid if necessary.
33. Top the paella with whole shrimps and pepper slices.
34. Cover again and cook no more than 5 minutes.
35. Remove from the heat and allow to rest 10 minutes covered before serving.