Market Day Paella
Chicken thighs, swordfish, shrimp, scallops, clams and spicy sausage with plenty of fresh veggies and herbs served over saffron bomba rice.
Equipment
- 1 Paella Pan for cooking chicken and seafood
- 1 pot for cooking rice
Ingredients
Rice
- 1 cup Bomba Rice
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/4 tsp. saffron
- 2 cups chicken broth
Veggies
- 2-3 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion (chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 2 tsp. Spanish paprika
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced into 3/4-inch wide strips (stem removed, seeded, and chopped)
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into 3/4-inch wide strips (stem removed, seeded and chopped)
- 1 orange bell pepper, sliced into 3/4-inch wide strips (stem removed, seeded and chopped)
- 4 Roma tomatoes (chopped)
- 1 15-oz. can artichoke hearts
- 1 cup garbanzo beans
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
Seafood, Chicken & Sausage
- 4 boneless-skinless chicken thighs (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 1/2 lb. fresh wild swordfish (skin removed and cut into bite-sized cubes
- 2 chicken-cheddar jalapeño sausages (the uncooked kind - or your favorite spicy sausage)
- 8 jumbo shrimp (shelled and deveined)
- 4 large sea scallops (large = 1 per person, medium =2 per person)
- 12 clams in the shell (steam the clams about 15 minutes before serving the paella. See instructions below.)
- 1/4 cup reserved fish and meat juices (pan scrapings and juices from browning the fish and chicken)
Garnishes
- 4 lemon wedges
- 4 cilantro sprigs
Instructions
Browning Chicken, Seafood and Sausage
- Heat 3 tbsp. olive oil in the paella pan. Brown chicken on both sides over medium heat. Remove from the pan and set aside. Repeat the process with the swordfish, sausage, shrimp, and scallops. All chicken and seafood should be about 80-90% cooked. Set all aside. Reserve the pan juices from each batch to add to the veggies you are going to cook in the paella pan in the next step. Note* The seafood and meat will finish cooking in the oven.
- Add a little more olive oil and saute onions with garlic until translucent. Add oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Add bell peppers and continue to cook over a medium-low heat for 5 minutes, to allow peppers to simmer and soften a bit. Add tomatoes and the reserved pan drippings and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Stir in garbanzo beans and artichoke hearts and continue to simmer for 10 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and place everything into a large bowl. Set aside. Do not clean the paella pan, since you will be using it again soon and you want to retain any residual scrapings and flavor in the pan for the final cooking.
Cooking the Rice - this can be done ahead of time and set aside until ready to assemble paella.
- Heat olive oil and butter in a saucepan. Add rice and saffron, and brown rice over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, to coat the rice so it is glossy. Add chicken broth, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until rice is done. Set aside. Turn rice into the paella pan and spread it out evenly in the bottom of the pan.
Steaming the Clams - 15 minutes before you’r ready to serve
- Place clams in a steamer over water. Season clams with garlic powder, black pepper and drizzle 1 tbsp. red or white wine vinegar over clams. Bring to a boil and steam until the clams open up. Discard any clams that don’t open. Arrange clams on top of paella and continue to bake for another 5 minutes.
Assembling the Paella
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Spread the rice evenly over the bottom of the paella pan. Arrange the seafood, chicken, sausage and veggies over the rice. Drizzle 1/4 cup water evenly over everything. Bring the pan back to a simmer. Remove from the stovetop and place in the oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Arrange steamed clams on top of the paella and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
- Serve immediately and garnish with lemon wedges and cilantro sprigs. We love to servie this paella with a lightly dressed salad of mixed greens, bites of fresh oranges, Kalamata olives, heart of palm and avocado.
Notes
We love to serve this paella with a simple, bright, salad, that’s full of texture. We use a farmstand mix of baby greens, heart of palm, ripe avocado, Kalamata olives, and juicy orange wedges. Dressed in a light vinaigrette that ties it all together, it’s the perfect balance of richness and acidity—cool, citrusy, and just the right contrast to the warmth and depth of the paella.