Paella
Here’s a summer entertaining menu that keeps things easy for the cook. The paella, served with grilled chicken and shellfish, is adapted to serve at room temperature. That means all the cooking is done in advance without compromising the dish.
Long-grain rice works best for the paella, rather than traditional short grain or Arborio rice, which in testing became unpleasantly thick and clumpy on standing.
I like to grill chicken legs and three varieties of shellfish for paella; they make for an inviting dish. But you can simplify this selection to your taste. You can also substitute a spicy sausage for the chicken and/or calamari in the seafood mix.
The rest of the meal? Melon with prosciutto or guacamole with chips work here with drinks. A salad of thinly sliced pickling cucumbers tossed in seasoned rice vinegar and chives is just the kind of refreshing, crunchy salad that paella requires. Crusty bread and butter. And a simple summer dessert, fresh peach melba. The raspberry sauce is actually the melba; here, it tops sliced peaches and vanilla ice cream.
Mandel is a cookbook author.
Heat the oil in a large paella pan or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion, green pepper, jalapeno and garlic. Cook until the onion is slightly softened, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and paprika and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Add the chicken broth, clam juice, white wine, olives, saffron, salt, bay leaf and pepper to taste. Stir well. Bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, until the rice is just tender, about 16 minutes. It’s OK if there’s extra liquid; the rice will absorb it as it stands. Remove from the heat. Stir in the peas and corn. (This can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. To serve, let the rice come to room temperature or warm slightly in a microwave oven.) Taste; adjust the seasoning. Serve at room temperature (right in the paella pan, if using), garnished with lime wedges. Serve the grilled shellfish and chicken on a separate platter.
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