Best 4 Gerards Paella Recipes

GERARD'S PAELLA

Steps:

• Heat the paella pan (or any large, flat bottomed saute pan) over medium-high heat, add olive oil and garlic and fry the peppers (Add more peppers if you want to serve some as an appetizer.)
• Remove peppers and set aside.
• Add chicken parts to the pan, turning to sear all sides.
• When chicken is golden, add the onions and saute until translucent.
• Add the tomatoes and the stock and reduce the sofrito base down for about a half hour.
• Meanwhile, crush the saffron with the smoked paprika in a mortar and pestle and add it to the stock.
• After a half hour, stir in the rice and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Important: Do not stir or cover the rice; as the rice cooks, add the vegetables and the garbanzo beans.
• During the final 10 minutes, poke the shrimp and shellfish into the rice mixture so that they will cook.
• You will know the dish is done when you can smell the smoky odor of the rice caramelizing on the bottom of the pan, and all the liquid is absorbed by the rice.
• Finish with squirts of lemon and leave lemon wedges in the paella pan or perched along the rim.

THE ULTIMATE PAELLA

Steps:

• Combine the paprika and oregano in a small bowl. Rub the spice mix all over the chicken and marinate chicken for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
• Heat oil in a paella pan over medium-high heat. Saute the chorizo until browned, remove and reserve. Add chicken skin-side down and brown on all sides, turning with tongs. Add salt and freshly ground pepper. Remove from pan and reserve.
• In the same pan, make a sofrito by sauteing the onions, garlic, and parsley. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes on a medium heat. Then, add tomatoes and cook until the mixture caramelizes a bit and the flavors meld. Fold in the rice and stir-fry to coat the grains. Pour in water and simmer for 10 minutes, gently moving the pan around so the rice cooks evenly and absorbs the liquid. Add chicken, chorizo, and saffron. Add the clams and shrimp, tucking them into the rice. The shrimp will take about 8 minutes to cook. Give the paella a good shake and let it simmer, without stirring, until the rice is al dente, for about 15 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, when the rice is filling the pan, add the lobster tails. When the paella is cooked and the rice looks fluffy and moist, turn the heat up for 40 seconds until you can smell the rice toast at the bottom, then it's perfect.
• Remove from heat and rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with peas, parsley and lemon wedges.

GERARD NEBESKY'S PAELLA

Steps:

• Heat a 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, or heat a paella pan on a grill over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, red bell pepper, and nora chile and sauté until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and scrape out onto a plate.
• Season the chicken thighs all over with salt. Put them in the skillet, skin side down, and brown thoroughly on both sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium and add the garlic cloves and onion; season with salt. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 12 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and cook until syrupy, 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Crush the paprika, saffron, and 1 teaspoon salt with a mortar and pestle, and stir into the sauce.
• Add the clams, cover, and remove them as they open, 5 to 10 minutes; set the clams aside. (Discard any that do not open.)
• Return the chicken to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Scatter the rice evenly in the pan, turning the chicken to let the rice fall to the bottom of the pan, but do not stir! Nestle the shrimp, mussels, green beans, and chickpeas into the liquid. Adjust the heat to maintain a brisk simmer.
• Turn the shrimp over to cook them through. Add the bell pepper mixture. Cook until all of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is caramelized on the bottom of the pan, 20 to 25 minutes. About 5 minutes before the rice is fully cooked, add the fish to the pan along with the cooked clams, lemon wedges, and parsley. If you need more liquid, add the reserved chickpea liquid.
• Let stand for 5 minutes. Then drizzle with olive oil, and serve.

GRILLED PAELLA

Steps:

• If using, soak the wood chips in water. In a large pot, stir the saffron into the chicken broth and set over medium heat. Once hot, lower the heat and keep warm.
• In an 18-inch paella pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. (A large, wide, shallow, flameproof saucepan may be substituted - or, in a pinch, an enameled Dutch oven.) Season the chicken thighs all over with salt and pepper and brown on all sides in the hot oil. Transfer to a plate. Cook the chorizo in the same pan until it starts to brown. Transfer to a second, paper-towel-lined plate. Remove the pan from the heat.
• Light a charcoal grill with about a large cereal box's worth of charcoal. Return the paella pan to the stove and set over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, then add the rice and stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
• Bring the stock, paella pan, chicken, chorizo and other ingredients to a table near the grill. When the fire is at its peak heat (all of the coals are lit, and you can hold your hand over the hottest part of the fire for only a few seconds), quickly stir the shrimp, chorizo and peas into the rice, then add 2 quarts of stock. Add the clams hinge-side up so that when they open in the heat, their juices are released into the rice. Nestle the chicken on top. Using thick gloves and a pair of tongs, carefully remove the grill grate. Drain the wood chips and drop them into the fire. Quickly replace the grill grate and set the paella pan on the grate. Cover the grill and cook the paella until all the liquid has absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes. If the rice is underdone, add another cup of stock and return to the fire for 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and, if you choose, top with parsley.