Brown Rice Paella
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 22, 2007
Time
2¼ hours
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 pound extra-large shrimp (2½5), peeled and deveinedolive oil 8-9 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, each thigh trimmed of excess fat and halved crosswise1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut pole to pole into ½-inch-wide strips8 ounces Spanish chorizo, sliced ½ inch thick on the bias (see note)1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)1 can (14 ½ ounces) diced tomatoes, drained, minced, and drained again2 cups long-grain brown rice 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth ⅓ cup dry white wine ½ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled1 bay leaf 1 dozen mussels, scrubbed and debearded½ cup frozen green peas, thawed2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley leaves 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving
Before You Begin
This recipe is for making paella in a Dutch oven (the Dutch oven should be 11 to 12 inches in diameter with at least a 6-quart capacity). Dry-cured Spanish chorizo is the sausage of choice for paella, but fresh chorizo or linguiça is an acceptable substitute.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Toss shrimp, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1 teaspoon garlic in medium bowl; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper; set aside.
- Heat 2 teaspoons oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until skin begins to blister and turn spotty black, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer peppers to small plate and set aside.
- Add 1 teaspoon oil to now-empty Dutch oven; heat oil until shimmering but not smoking. Add chicken pieces in single layer; cook, without moving pieces, until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn pieces and brown on second side, about 3 minutes longer; transfer chicken to medium bowl. Reduce heat to medium and add chorizo to pot; cook, stirring frequently, until deeply browned and fat begins to render, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer chorizo to bowl with chicken and set aside.
- Add enough oil to fat in Dutch oven to equal 2 tablespoons; heat over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 minutes; stir in remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes; cook until mixture begins to darken and thicken slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in rice and cook until grains are well coated with tomato mixture, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, wine, saffron, bay, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally.
- Cover pot and transfer to oven; cook until rice absorbs most of liquid, about 30 minutes. Remove pot from oven; add chicken and chorizo, cover pot, and transfer to oven; cook for 15 minutes. Remove pot from oven; scatter shrimp over meat and rice, insert mussels hinged side down into rice (so they stand upright), arrange bell pepper strips in pinwheel pattern, and scatter peas over top. Cover and return to oven; cook until shrimp are opaque and mussels have opened, about 12 minutes.
- Let paella stand, covered, about 5 minutes. Discard any mussels that have not opened and bay leaf, if it can be easily removed. Sprinkle with parsley and serve, passing lemon wedges separately.
Time
2¼ hoursYield
Serves 6Ingredients
1 pound extra-large shrimp (2½5), peeled and deveined
olive oil
8-9 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, each thigh trimmed of excess fat and halved crosswise
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut pole to pole into ½-inch-wide strips
8 ounces Spanish chorizo, sliced ½ inch thick on the bias (see note)
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1 can (14 ½ ounces) diced tomatoes, drained, minced, and drained again
2 cups long-grain brown rice
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
⅓ cup dry white wine
½ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
1 bay leaf
1 dozen mussels, scrubbed and debearded
½ cup frozen green peas, thawed
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 pound extra-large shrimp (2½5), peeled and deveined
olive oil
8-9 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, each thigh trimmed of excess fat and halved crosswise
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut pole to pole into ½-inch-wide strips
8 ounces Spanish chorizo, sliced ½ inch thick on the bias (see note)
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1 can (14 ½ ounces) diced tomatoes, drained, minced, and drained again
2 cups long-grain brown rice
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
⅓ cup dry white wine
½ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
1 bay leaf
1 dozen mussels, scrubbed and debearded
½ cup frozen green peas, thawed
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 pound extra-large shrimp (2½5), peeled and deveined
olive oil
8-9 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, each thigh trimmed of excess fat and halved crosswise
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut pole to pole into ½-inch-wide strips
8 ounces Spanish chorizo, sliced ½ inch thick on the bias (see note)
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1 can (14 ½ ounces) diced tomatoes, drained, minced, and drained again
2 cups long-grain brown rice
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
⅓ cup dry white wine
½ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
1 bay leaf
1 dozen mussels, scrubbed and debearded
½ cup frozen green peas, thawed
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
The key to our paella recipe was finding equipment and ingredients that stayed true to the dish’s heritage. First, we substituted a Dutch oven for a single-purpose paella pan. Then we pared down our ingredients, dismissing lobster (too much work), diced pork (sausage would be enough), fish (flakes too easily), and rabbit and snails (too unconventional). For our streamlined paella recipe, we were left with chorizo, chicken (boneless, skinless thighs), shrimp, and mussels (favored over scallops, clams, and calamari). When we focused on the rice, we liked long-grain brown rice.
Before You Begin
This recipe is for making paella in a Dutch oven (the Dutch oven should be 11 to 12 inches in diameter with at least a 6-quart capacity). Dry-cured Spanish chorizo is the sausage of choice for paella, but fresh chorizo or linguiça is an acceptable substitute.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Toss shrimp, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1 teaspoon garlic in medium bowl; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper; set aside.
- Heat 2 teaspoons oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until skin begins to blister and turn spotty black, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer peppers to small plate and set aside.
- Add 1 teaspoon oil to now-empty Dutch oven; heat oil until shimmering but not smoking. Add chicken pieces in single layer; cook, without moving pieces, until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn pieces and brown on second side, about 3 minutes longer; transfer chicken to medium bowl. Reduce heat to medium and add chorizo to pot; cook, stirring frequently, until deeply browned and fat begins to render, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer chorizo to bowl with chicken and set aside.
- Add enough oil to fat in Dutch oven to equal 2 tablespoons; heat over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 minutes; stir in remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes; cook until mixture begins to darken and thicken slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in rice and cook until grains are well coated with tomato mixture, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, wine, saffron, bay, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally.
- Cover pot and transfer to oven; cook until rice absorbs most of liquid, about 30 minutes. Remove pot from oven; add chicken and chorizo, cover pot, and transfer to oven; cook for 15 minutes. Remove pot from oven; scatter shrimp over meat and rice, insert mussels hinged side down into rice (so they stand upright), arrange bell pepper strips in pinwheel pattern, and scatter peas over top. Cover and return to oven; cook until shrimp are opaque and mussels have opened, about 12 minutes.
- Let paella stand, covered, about 5 minutes. Discard any mussels that have not opened and bay leaf, if it can be easily removed. Sprinkle with parsley and serve, passing lemon wedges separately.
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