Easy Filipino Paella

Paella is a saffron-flavored Spanish dish made with varying combinations of rice, vegetables, meat, chicken and seafood. It takes its name from the paellera, the two-handled frying pan in which the dish is traditionally cooked. We Filipinos have created our own version of paella and it differs in every region.  This recipe that I’m going to share with you is for me, the easiest of them all. In this one, you can precook the rice using mussels and chicken broth instead of plain water. Precooking the rice will allow you to cook the rice according to the consistency you want and using broth will give the rice the tasty flavors of mussels & chicken. And whether you use a paellera or just an ordinary pan, you’ll surely get a delicious paella. Try it!

 Prep Time: 25 mins          Cook Time: ~25 mins           Servings: 6-8                             

Ingredients:

• 5-6 cups of cooked rice (cooked in tahong and/or chicken broth)
• 12 pcs. tahong, cleaned & boiled
• ½ lb shrimp, cleaned
• ½ lb squid, cleaned and cut into rings
• 1 chorizo de Bilbao or Chinese chorizo, sliced diagonally
• 1 boiled chicken breast, cut into strips (sprinkle chicken with salt & pepper then boil until cooked)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp ginger, minced
• 1 *8-oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• ½ red bell pepper, cut into strips (I prefer using Jalapeño pepper sliced into rings and seeds removed because I like it mildly hot. But if you prefer a light sweet flavor, use red bell pepper, or you can use both. )
• 1 pc bay leaf
• ½ cup fresh or frozen green peas
• a pinch of saffron
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 Tbsp olive oil for sautéing
• 2 pcs lemon, sliced

Procedure:

1. In a paellera or large pan over medium heat, sautè garlic in olive oil until golden brown. Add ginger & onion and sauté until onion is translucent. Add chicken and chorizo and sauté for a minute.

2. Add squid and shrimps. Simmer for 3 minutes or until shrimps and squid are cooked. Be sure not to overcook! Add the mussels. Simmer for a minute then add tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, jalapeño pepper, bay leaf, and saffron. Simmer for about 2 minutes.

3. Season with salt and pepper to suit your taste.

4. Using slotted spoon, transfer some chicken, chorizo, squid, mussels and shrimps to a plate. Set aside. You will use these for toppings.

5. Add cooked rice to the sauce, continually stirring for 10-15 minutes. Add the green peas. Mix well.

6. Transfer to a serving dish. Top with the chicken, chorizo, squid, mussels & shrimps that you set aside. Serve with lemon.

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