Anybody got a real kick ass Paella recipe?

[CTyankee]

I mean, like the real thing (however they do it in Valencia)? I am hankering to make it for myself and hubby, don't know why. It just sounds like a good thing and I have lots of frozen shrimp and chicken in the freezer that I need to use...

Tell me your Paella secrets...

[Westegg]

1. Use good Spanish rice-- I use "Arroz Bomba"...

...My recipe is cobbled together via trial and error and several cookbooks (Cook's Illustrated among them-- I find C.I. very helpful). It's all in my brain, which I don't have access to at the moment, alas. When I do a paella, it's always for a special occasion, so I use lobster tail or crawfish. A good homemade fish broth. Fresh clams. A nice, firm white fish fresh from the market. It takes me a couple of days. But the prep is half the fun. The other half is the eating! I expect you'll get some good ideas here. I'll be checking out what others post. That's how it is with cooking-- I learn something new every day.

[Westegg]

3. Oh, come ON, Paella People!

[DFW]

2. NOW you ask!

I used to live in Barcelona, and my Catalan family used to have it
for the big Sunday dinner twice a month. I should have gotten them to
write the recipe down for me (after all, why else do you learn to
speak Catalan?)

[SKKY]

4. Do you have a Paella pan?

[CTyankee]

5. No, I realize there is such a thing, but I don't have one. I will have to use

a wide and deep pan that I use for my Italian recipes. I will be doing this on the top of the stove and in the oven, but not outside, as I understand the Spaniards do, becuz y'know I live in Connecticut...

[Westegg]

7. Any good wide, deep pan will do...

...and I've never made it outside, becuz y'know, I live in NYC. I appreciate authenticity and traditional practices in cooking. And there are lots of ways my paellas aren't totally authentic. But they still taste great!

[mondo joe]

6. Not a recipe, but: paella is easily done on a charcoal grill - makes for a great outdoor party.

We did it on our good old Weber last year, with a Paella pan that fit perfectly. It's ideal for a party because it's a neat center of attention during the cooking, and people can all bring different ingredients.