Two things about Patrick - he loves to cook for family and his favorite expression is layers of flavor. While cooking he talks about building layers of flavor. While eating he will ask repeatedly if you taste the layers of flavor.

Paella is the ultimate dish for layers of flavor. Regarded as the most famous dish from Spain, paella is a stew of chicken, sausage, seafood, tomato, and rice, and no two recipes are the same. Paella was originally cooked over fire in a large shallow pan (the word paella refers to the pan it was cooked in), and we had fun trying our version of open fire paella.

The first step is prepping the fire and grate. Cooking for a crowd meant needing room for several pans. With a large fire pit we were able to elevate and secure a grate with bricks. We also secured the folding legs with a metal pole. Keep the fire hot and evenly distributed.

As the fire is getting hot, stage your ingredients. Staging includes pulling mussels to thaw, slicing sausage, marinating chicken, making the saffron tea, zesting and juicing lemons. Once the cooking process starts you want the ingredients ready to go.

Our crowd required three pans and we used what was available - cast iron skillet, paella pan, and wok. As you cook, move the pans around to ensure even cooking.

Heat the oil in the pans and then start building the layers with the chicken and chorizo sausage. After 10 minutes or so, stir in the vegetables, lemon, and shrimp. Continue cooking and adding layers with the tomatoes and seasonings.

Once the shrimp is pink and vegetables are getting tender, stir in the rice. Add all of the chicken stock including the saffron tea. The “tea” is made by stirring saffron threads (a spice derived from the Crocus flower) into chicken stock and allowing the flavors to blend. Saffron is used for flavor and rich color, and is commonly added to risotto and paella.

Once the liquid is added to the rice it needs to simmer until tender. If possible, cover the pans.

The final two layers of flavor are the peas and mussels. Stir in the peas, place the mussels on top, and allow to cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

The rice may be tender before all the liquid is absorbed. The extra liquid will keep the paella moist as your diners help themselves and them come back for more. The liquid also helps when reheating the delicious leftovers.

Paella

1 lb. Chorizo sausage links
2 lb. Shrimp (30-36 ct), peeled & deveined
12 oz Mussels, frozen
2 1/2 lb. Chicken breast, diced
2 medium Onion, diced
3 medium Red pepper, diced
1/4 cup + 1T Garlic, minced
2 T Parsley, fresh chopped
3 T Oregano, fresh chopped
6 Lemons, juice & zest
1 cup Olive oil blend, divided
28 oz Crushed tomatoes
96 oz Chicken stock
3 T Smoked paprika
5 cups Rice, par boiled
2-3 Bay leaves
3 tsp Saffron threads
12 oz Peas, frozen
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black pepper

Slice the chorizo into 1/2 inch slices.
Thaw mussels for 1 hour.
Toss diced chicken with 1/4 cup olive oil blend and 1 T garlic, fresh chopped herbs, 2T smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
Marinate 30 – 60 minutes.
Juice and zest lemons.
Stir 2 tsp saffron into 1 quart chicken stock and allow flavors to blend.
Heat 3/4 cup olive oil in paella pan or skillet. (For this size batch separate into 2 or 3 pans).
Stir in chorizo and chicken and cook for 10 minutes.
Stir in onion and cook until tender and translucent.
Stir in remaining garlic, red pepper, lemon juice, lemon zest, and shrimp. Cook and stir for 5 minutes until shrimp begins to turn pink.
As shrimp is cooking stir in additional 1 T smoked paprika.
Stir in crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, and additional 1 tsp saffron.
Stir and cook for a few minutes and then add rice.
Pour in all chicken stock. Allow to simmer until rice is tender and a small amount of liquid remains.
Rice takes 15 – 20 minutes to cook. Cover pans if possible.
Once rice is tender, stir in peas. Place mussels on top.
Cook 5 minutes until mussels are hot. Allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.
Serve with bread and salad.

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