Carmen's paella
When my fellow citizens wanted good paella, they went to Queen Street in Carmen Cocina Española. Here Veronica Carmen Laudes, together with chef Luis Valenzuela, prepares delicious tapas and paella. Growing up in Chile in an immigrant Spanish family, Carmenina paella does not aspire to become an authentic Spanish. She knows that the use of chorizo disqualifies her in this, which does not make her inferior at all. Juicy, fragrant, tasty, with lively colors and fine crunchiness at the bottom, this is how I sometimes prepare it myself according to Carmen's recipe, which I have been diligently "borrowing" for the last couple of years, ingredient by ingredient.
Preparation steps
- Put half-cut carabat chicken in a deep and large pan on olive oil. Toast them on both sides over medium heat until finely browned, about 20 minutes. Take them out of the pan and set aside. Put sliced chorizo sausage in the same pan and bake it for 2-3 minutes, take it out and put it on a plate on the side. Now put the shrimps in the pan, and fry them for 2-3 minutes, and put them on a plate together with the sausage.
- Now put the chopped onion and garlic in the pan, and simmer them for about 10 minutes on medium heat until the onion becomes translucent. Add sliced red and yellow peppers, and peas, and simmer them for an additional 2-3 minutes. Stir in the rice, ground red pepper, salt, pepper and saffron, and mix everything together nicely. Add the first cup of chicken stock, and return the karabatake to the pan.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat, gradually add the remaining two cups of chicken stock, and stir for the last time. Wash and clean the mussels and gourds well, pluck the chin with the mussels, and remove those that are open. Put the mussels in the pan, and continue to simmer over medium heat. Stop mixing paella. We won't touch it anymore, let it bake a little on the underside while the rice is cooking and the stock evaporates. This will achieve "sokarrat", that desired crunchiness that will give a distinction to every good paella. Finally, return the pieces of chorizo sausage and shrimp to the pan for a few minutes. Almost remove from the heat and leave covered for about ten minutes. Serve with fresh basil leaves and lemon slices.
