The Paella Pan - How to clean, care and store your pan for a lifetime of use.

Paella pans are a joy to cook in and are a critical part of getting the wonderful crust that forms on the bottom of the pan. This cooking method can be hard on your pan so be sure to clean and season your pan after (and before) attempting this technique.

Chicken and Chorizo Paella
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Paella is very versatile; while sticking to this general recipe format feel free to experiment with adding seasonal vegetables as well as seafood and meats.

For chicken marinade:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch squares
3 tablespoons Spanish extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons chopped rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoonssea salt, divided
1 teaspoon pimentón, divided

To make paella:
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup finely diced green bell pepper
2/3 cup (6 ounces) diced chorizo
1 1/2 cups Spanish Bomba or Valencia rice
1 cup dry Spanish sherry
1 cup sofrito (see recipe below)
1/8 teaspoon saffron threads, soaked in 1 tablespoon warm water
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 large lemon, cut into 6 to 8 wedges, for garnish

Preheat oven to 425°F and place a rack in the center. Bring chicken broth to a simmer in a large pot with ladle.

Place chicken in a large bowl or large sealable plastic bag. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic, chopped rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pimentón. Cover bowl, or seal bag, and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to overnight.(Alternatively, use a vacuum sealer or instant marinator to reduce the marination time by half.)

When ready to cook the paella, remove chicken pieces from marinade. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 13-inch paella pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove chicken from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Heat remaining tablespoon oil over medium-high heat, add bell pepper and chorizo to pan and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat with oil. Add sherry, stirring frequently until absorbed into the rice. Add cooked chicken, sofrito, saffron, remaining pimentón and saltand stir to combine. Ladle 2 cups hot broth into the rice, stirring just enough to even out the rice in the pan and incorporate the ingredients. Reduce the heat to medium, then add 2 remaining cups of broth and cook at a simmer, undisturbed for 8 minutes.
Distribute peas evenly over the top of the paella. Cover with foil or lid and transfer paella pan to preheated oven and bake until almost all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender, about 10 minutes. (If the liquid has been absorbed but the rice is not tender, add 2 tablespoons of water and cook until tender). Remove paella from oven. Rest for five minutes before serving.