Alton Brown's Paella
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2010. Cooked over charcoal.
Special equipment: chimney starter, newspaper, vegetable oil, 4 pounds natural lump charcoal, and a 15-inch carbon steel paella pan.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Tomato
- 9 cup Chicken broth, low-sodium
- 3 cup Rice, short or medium-grain
- 20 Saffron, threads
- 2 sprig Rosemary, leaves stripped
- 3 tsp Kosher salt, divided
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika, sweet
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 3 lb Chicken thigh, bone-in, skin-on thighs and legs
- 1/2 lb Green bean, fresh, trimmed and halved
- 1 cup Red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup Green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 clove Garlic, minced
Directions
- Spritz 4 to 5 pieces of newspaper with vegetable oil and put in the bottom of a charcoal chimney starter. Fill the chimney with half of the charcoal and light the newspaper. When the charcoal is lightly covered with gray ash, pour it onto the bottom grate of a kettle grill and spread evenly. Top with the remaining unlit charcoal. Set the second grate in place and cover until ready to cook.
- Meanwhile, halve the tomatoes and remove the seeds to a fine mesh strainer set over a small bowl to catch the juice. Grate the seeded halves on the large holes of a box grater and discard the skins. Combine the reserved juice and grated tomato and set aside.
- Warm the chicken broth in a kettle or 4-quart saucepan over high heat until it reaches 200 degrees F. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
- Combine the rice, saffron, rosemary, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and paprika in a small mixing bowl.
- Heat the olive oil in the paella pan on the grill. Season the chicken on all sides with the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt. Once the oil shimmers, add the chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides, approximately 5 to 6 minutes per side. Move the chicken to the outer edges of the pan. Add the green beans, peppers and garlic to the center and cook until they begin to soften and darken, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juice and cook until most of the liquid has dissipated and the tomatoes thicken and darken, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the rice mixture to the center of the pan and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Redistribute the chicken on top of the rice. Add 4 cups of the warm broth and stir to distribute the rice evenly, making sure all the rice is submerged. From this point forward do not stir the paella.
- After 8 to 9 minutes, when all of the liquid is absorbed and the rice appears dry, add another 4 cups of broth. Continue to cook without stirring until the liquid is absorbed, 8 to 9 minutes. The rice should be firm to the bite with a tiny white dot in the center. Add the remaining cup of broth as needed, until the rice is cooked through. Watch the fire and adjust the pan to prevent uneven cooking.
- Remove the pan from the heat, cover with a tea towel and rest for 15 minutes before serving.