Here's an authentic recipe from one of our clients in Ojai, California, a place known to produce some of the world's finest fruits and vegetables. Being only 30 minutes from the ocean, it's a perfect Paella storm! Fernando's recipe reminds me of one of the main ingredients in all of my grandfather's recipes, several glasses of booze for the chef while cooking!:
"Hi Jonathan, this is Fernando, you just dropped of the paella pan at my home in Ojai. I am going to give you my paella recipe however without seeing the actual pan, I’m going to take a guess on the amount of rice (use Uncle Bens conventional rice), 3 cups.
First heat the pan Add ½ cup virgin olive oil, add 1 onion chopped, and fry for about 5 minutes. Add 1 chopped tomato, let it fry without adding anything else for a couple of minutes. Add 3 garlic cloves finely chopped and 20 bite size pieces or more of chicken (about 2 half breasts), letting that fry for about 5 minutes, then turn.
Add a pinch of saffron and pimenton (sweet paprika) Have a glass of red wine. Now, add 3 carrots (cut into round 1/8” thick) and cook for 3 minutes. Add 20 pcs of bite size pork chops (no bone). Add a pinch of garlic salt to all ingredients. Add chopped red and green bell peppers one each (stir with rest and cook without adding anything else for 3 minutes). Add half basket of sliced mushrooms and one chorizo sausage (Spanish), cut in ½” slices. Add 20 pcs of calamari (body cut in 2 or 3 sections). Add koarse salt(one pinch) to all ingredients. Add 3 cups rice and spread evenly and stir with all ingredients.
Have another glass of wine.
Now, add chicken broth, home-made if you have it (6 cups, add 2 of the paellero envelopes Martha gave you to the broth before adding to paella pan). Taste once broth is hot for taste, add salt if required. Add half a bag of the frozen peas (found at any supermarket). Once broth is boiling, it will take around 20 minutes, so 10 minutes into this, you can add: Clams (10 – 20 ) Shrimp, as many as you like Any other seafood Once broth is almost consumed, taste rice to see if it is done, and if so, turn heat off. Cover entire paella with aluminum foil and let stand for 15 minutes, then ready to serve.
Have another glass of wine.
Enjoy! Fernando
