SAUCE MAGAZINE
Posted On: 08/01/2010
Escape August in landlocked St. Louis via the dinner table, where you can evoke the ocean breezes of the Mediterranean with paella. At Modesto on The Hill, chef Grace Dinsmoor conjures visions of warm and sunny Spain via the robust flavors of paella mixta, a coastal version of the classic dish that’s brimming with fresh seafood.
PAELLA MIXTA
Courtesy of Modesto’s Grace Dinsmoor
2 cups strong chicken broth
1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
Salt
6 Tbsp. olive oil
2 green peppers, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 fresh tomatoes, skinned and chopped
2 pimentos, homemade or imported, chopped
3 tsp. paprika
¼ tsp. saffron
2 cups Bomba rice
1½ lbs. chorizo, sliced
1½ cups dry white wine
Freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp. minced parsley for garnish
6 to 10 clams
1 lb. shrimp, deveined and peeled to tail
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the chicken broth until it’s very hot.
• Sprinkle the chicken pieces with salt. Heat the oil in a paella pan and fry the chicken until golden on all sides. Remove to a warm platter.
• Add the green peppers, onion and garlic and sauté until the green pepper is tender. Stir in the tomatoes and pimentos and cook, uncovered, 10 minutes more.
• Add the paprika and saffron, then add the rice and chorizo and stir to coat well with the oil.
• Add the hot broth and the wine, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Boil over medium heat, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for about 7 minutes or until the rice is no longer soupy but not very dry.
• Arrange the chicken pieces, the clams and the shrimp over the rice and place in the oven, uncovered. Bake for 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed but the rice is still al dente.
• Remove from the oven and let sit, lightly covered with foil, for 5 minutes more.
• Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.
