Shawn “Chef Lumberjack” Mitchell made this paella to celebrate the launch of our 14” Cast Iron Skillet. With umami-rich seafood and Spanish white wine it’s a meal to remember – especially when cooked & served in our skillets.

Ingredients

  • 5 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Enough to lightly coat the bottom of the pan)
  • 1 Cup diced Spanish Chorizo (we like Olympia Provisions’ Chorizo Navarre)
  • 1 Small Yellow Onion, peeled & diced as small as possible
  • 4 Cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 14-oz can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
  • 1 ½ Cups Bell Peppers, diced
  • 2 Cups Bomba Rice (Arborio is a decent substitute)
  • 1 Cup Dry White Wine
  • 3 Cups HEATED Stock (seafood stock is best, but chicken/veg is good for a milder flavor)
  • 1 Teaspoon Sweet Spanish Paprika
  • 1 Pinch Saffron Threads
  • Kosher Salt to taste
  • ½ to 1 lb. Cleaned Calamari (squid) (keep tentacles whole; cut tubes into ½” strips)
  • 1 lb. Shrimp, peeled & deveined (heads on = more flavor)
  • 1 lb. Clams, cleaned
  • 1 ib. Mussel, cleaned
  • ½ Cup Sun Gold Tomatoes, halved
  • 2 T Chopped Parsley
  • 1 Lemon, halved for juicing

Directions

  1. Heat 14” Cast Iron Skillet over medium-low until warm to the touch.
  2. Add olive oil and diced chorizo sausage. Cook until chorizo renders out most of its fat.
  3. Add diced onion and cook until brown.
  4. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, ~1 min.
  5. Add diced tomatoes, bell peppers, paprika and saffron. Stir to combine. Cook 2-3 minutes until bubbling and fragrant.
  6. Season lightly with kosher salt.
  7. Add rice and stir to combine.
  8. Add wine and reduce until almost evaporated.
  9. Add heated stock and season with kosher salt. (Remember that the liquid will reduce and concentrate and the shellfish will contribute some saltiness to the finished dish).
  10. Bring to boil on medium-high heat, then reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Don’t stir the rice!
  11. After 10 minutes, add shrimp and squid. Arrange in a mandala pattern leaving room for clams and mussels. Once shrimp have turned pink, flip over to finish cooking the other side.
  12. Add clams and mussels in a mandala pattern making sure to leave the hinge side down so they can open correctly. Continue to cook until the shellfish opens. If you have a lid, now is a good time to cover the paella for a few minutes to make sure the shellfish cooks all the way through. (If any don’t open, throw them away).
  13. Remove the lid if used. The goal here is to cook the rice completely in order to create a crusty bottom layer called the socarrat while the seafood is also cooked to completion.
  14. Garnish with chopped parsley, sun gold cherry tomatoes and a healthy squeeze of lemon juice. Serve in the skillet & enjoy.

Recommended FINEX gear for this recipe

FOLLOW US @finexcookware