Authentic Spanish Paella Recipe

Now this is a paella pan!

Both my husband and I served as missionaries in the Spain Madrid Mission, and we fell in love with the country, the people, and the FOOD. I have been desperate for a decent paella recipe. Last month when we went on our cruise to Mexico, I ordered Paella at a restaurant in Aculpulco, and it was horrible. Thankfully, one of my friends from Spain found a recipe that she uses and gave it to me. I am going to make this for my husband for our Anniversary, which means I need to buy a Paella pan. :) Now all I need is a recipe on how to make the bread or 'pan' from Spain, which are long bars. They are hard on the outside, and very soft on the inside. If anyone knows of a recipe please send it to me. Thank you!!

Here goes the recipe of paella, apparently it is from the "original", but I would not use the oven but a proper paella dish or big pan

Ingredients:
5 langoustines
12 mussels
1 large squid chopped in to squid rings
200g prawns
4 chicken thighs
8 slices of bacon
1 chorizo sausage
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 large jar of red peppers
350g short grain rice
1 tin of artichokes
tomato puree
a small pack of saffron
olive oil

Method: How to make traditional Catalan paella:
1. Preheat oven to 180 °C.
2. Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the jar of red peppers and the chopped garlic and fry gently for about five minutes. Slice the chorizo and bacon into strips and add them to the frying pan along with the chicken thighs. Fry on a low heat for another 10 minutes.
3. Add a large squirt of tomato puree, the tin of artichokes and a small pack of saffron and then transfer all the ingredients into a wok. Fry for 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with oil then place the wok in the oven at 180°c for 10 minutes.
4. Fry the squid in a pan on a low heat for 10 minutes. Add the squid, mussels, langoustines and prawns to the wok arranging them artistically on the top and put back in the oven for 10 minutes keeping the temperature at 180°c. Keep checking it has enough water. If you think it is getting dry, add more water, shake the handle of the pan rather than stir so as not to upset the pattern. Once the rice is cooked and the mussels have opened, it is ready to eat.

I lived in Spain for almost 2 years, and I picked up a cookbook that I always turn to when I am in the need for authentic Spanish cuisine. It is called "Cooking in Spain" by Janet Mendel. Try out this Paella recipe! Makes 6 servings. You will need to convert the amounts into what we use in the United States.

1 dozen clams/mussels

1/2 kg prawns

1 small chicken or rabbit

200 grams pork loin, cut in cubes

75 ml olive oil

3 cloves of garlic

1 bay leaf

1 small onion, minced

2 green peppers, cut in strips

300 g squid, cut in rings

2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

500 g rice

1 1/4 ltr liquid, very hot or boiling

1/2 tsp saffron

10 peppercorns

1/2 tsp paprika

2 tsp salt

1 small tin red pimiento

100 g cooked peas

1. Clean the clams or mussels and steam them open. Remove a half-shell and discard, setting aside the clams on one shell. Strain and reserve the liquid in which they cooked.

2.Peel the prawn, saving several unpeeled for garnish. Cook them in a little water, adding other shells. Strain and reserve the liquid.

3. Cut the chicken into serving pieces. (The bony pieces can be cooked in water to make a stock for cooking the paella.)

4. In the paella pan heat half the oil and in it toast 2 cloves of garlic and the bay leaf. Remove them and set aside.

5. In the same oil, slowly brown the chicken pieces with the cubes of pork, turning them often. Remove to a dish when nicely browned.

6. Now add the minced onion and chopped peppers to the oil. Let saute' a few minutes.

7. Add the rings of squid and saute'.

8. Add the tomatoes and raise the heat to high so that they fry in the oil. Add remaining oil at this point so that mixture doesn't stick.

9. Add the rice and cook briefly, stirring, so that the grains become slightly opaque.

10. Combine the reserved cooking liquids with water or stock and heat.

11. In the mortar or blender crush the fried garlic and bay leaf with the saffron, peppercorns, paprika, 1 clove raw garlic and salt. Dilute in a little of the liquid from the pan or in a little white wine and add to the paella. Stir it in well to mix.

12. Now turn down the heat and let the paella continue cooking.

13. Decorate the top with the reserved mussels, cooked prawns, strips of tinned pimiento and cooked peas.

14. Shake the pan to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom.

15. Remove the heat and let the paella sit for 10 minutes before servin. Serve with quartered lemons which are squeezed over rice, chicken, and shellfish.

Enjoy!