Chef Jill Sandique's 'My Everything Paella' for Noche Buena

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MANILA, Philippines — Are you trying to veer away from consuming too much red meat since the beginning of the Yuletide season? So, it’s a “no” for Lechon, ham, and Crispy Pata as star of the Noche Buena table this Christmas.

You can replace it with something just as festive and celebratory, if not more, by making this Paella by Chef Jill Sandique. She calls it My Everything Paella because it’s got everything (almost!) in it.

Paella, she said, was originally a humble dish. It is a farmer’s fare with 10 common ingredients: olive oil, rice, chicken, rabbit, salt, saffron, tomatoes, two kinds of beans, and water.

“Numerous treatises, discussions, disagreements, debates, symposiums and research papers on how to make a perfect Paella have been dedicated to this gastronomic delight, which is synonymous with Spain,” she explained.

But, now, the rules on Paella have changed, as people from all over the world adopted the one-dish meal and changed the ingredients according to their own preferences. While chefs in Spain and Europe, in general, still make Paella with rabbit as main protein, in other places, such as the Philippines, where rabbit is an exotic ingredient and not a staple, it has given way to pork, chicken, and lots of seafood and vegetables.

Chef Jill’s My Everything Paella is a variation of the Paella Mixta, which is traditionally made with meats and vegetables. In the Paella rulebook, a Seafood Paella is to be enjoyed by itself, and never to be mixed with anything else, but since Filipinos have adapted the recipe to suit local flavors, this version has a little bit of everything — chorizo, chicken, seafood, olives, and, sometimes, asparagus, mushrooms, green peas and hard boiled eggs, too.

Crabs happen to be Chef Jill’s absolute favorite, but since she could not find any in the supermarket near her during the recent busy weekend when she cooked this dish, she had to make do without it.

“Please make sure to add some when you prepare this recipe because crabs impart a special flavor that I reckon is a 'must' in my version. After all, it is my favorite seafood of all time! I hope you’ll enjoy this celebratory dish as much as my loved ones do. Happy cooking!” the chef said. 

Chef Jill Sandique's My Everything Paella

Ingredients:

3-4 chicken pieces (drumsticks or thighs or a combination)

3-4 pcs. chicken wings

1/3 cup Beaoliva Olive Oil, or more

1 pc. large or 2 pcs. small Spanish chorizo

1-1 1/2 tbsps. minced garlic

3 tbsps. finely chopped red bell pepper

3 tbsps. finely chopped green bell pepper

1-2 tsps. ground sweet (or smoked) paprika

2 cups short-grain rice

A large pinch of saffron, soaked in hot water

1 1/2 - 2 cups Dolce e Italia Crushed Tomatoes

3 cups hot water, or as needed

1 cup halved button mushrooms (or any kind)

10-12 pcs. shrimps

10-12 pcs. mussels

10-12 pcs. clams

4-6 pcs. small squid, cleaned and black ink removed (or squid rings)

2-4 pcs. crabs, cleaned and halved

Salt to taste

Chili pepper flakes, as needed

1 pc. small red pimiento, sliced

12-16 pcs. Beaoliva Green Olives (pitted)

A bunch of flat leaf parsley, for garnish

Sliced lemon, for garnish

Procedure:

1. Wash the chicken and drain. Pat-dry with paper towel. Set aside briefly.

2.  Heat the Beaoliva Olive Oil in a flat, shallow pan. Cook the chicken over medium-high heat just until golden brown. Push the chicken towards the edge of the pan and add the Spanish chorizo. Stir briefly then push the chorizo towards the sides of the pan.

3. Add garlic and bell peppers to the center of the pan and sauté just until aromatic. Stir in paprika, then rice, and mix to coat the rice grains with olive oil. Add more oil if necessary. The rice will turn opaque and somewhat “whitish.”

4. Add the saffron water, Dolce e Italia Crushed Tomatoes, and hot water to the pan. Mix well and allow to boil vigorously. Bring back the chicken and chorizo towards the center, gently stirring to even out the rice in a flat, even layer. Arrange the chicken, seafood and mushrooms on top of the rice and season with salt and chili flakes. Cook, without stirring, until almost done. Add more water if necessary.

5. When almost done, increase to high heat to form the “socarrat” (that delectable and crunchy layer at the bottom of the paella). Turn off heat, then garnish with sliced pimiento, Beaoliva Green Olives, parsley and lemon. Allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

6. Remove pan from heat and serve immediately.

*Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

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