Paella Kit Instructions
Hama Hama Paella
Welcome to paella, Hama Hama style! Sometimes known as the national food of Spain, paella is a one-pot rice dish typically flavored with saffron. Authentic paella uses a short-grained rice, simmered in stock and studded with whatever proteins and vegetables you have on hand. In Valencia, where paella hails from, scrappy farmers originally cooked it with snails (hey, they’re slow and easy to catch). Naturally, at Hama Hama we prefer ours with shellfish. This recipe features our own manila and savory clams, spot prawns from Drifters Fish, and saffron-infused halibut bone broth made by our friends at Yodelin Broth. We hope you enjoy the process of cooking this paella as much as eating it! The journey starts now…
Where'd your kit ingredients come from?
- Yodelin Broth Company for rich and savory saffron halibut soup
- Drifters Fish with the juicy spot prawns
- Coro Foods has the flavorful Agrumi salami
- and last but not least, manila and savory clams from the beaches around Hama Hama!
Your kit includes:
- 2 pounds manila clams + 1 pound savory clams (depending on your pan, you may only be able to fit about 2 pounds in the paella – choose your fighters and steam the rest!)
- 1 stick orange-cardamom salami from Coro Foods
- 2 pints Salish Sea Wild Halibut Saffron Broth from Yodelin
- 1 pint spot prawns from Drifters Fish
Other ingredients to procure:
- 14 to 16” paella pan – if you don’t have one, see the note below
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced (about 2 cups)
- 6 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved, or two medium tomatoes, diced (or grated on a box grater, skin discarded). (About 2 cups tomato total)
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 ½ cups (about 500 grams, or half a standard bag) bomba rice
- 1 cup dry white wine – we like picpoul, a famously shellfish-friendly wine, but any crisp, light white will work
- Optional: 1 medium summer squash, any variety, diced (about 2 cups)
- 2 tablespoons butter, diced (or you can substitute olive oil)
- Optional: 1/2 cup snap peas, sliced on the bias
- 1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
- 1 lemon, to squeeze before serving
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Note on the pan: One of the hallmarks of paella is the socarrat, a crispy crust that forms on the bottom of the rice, which helps give the dish its signature texture and flavor. Soccarat develops best in a low, wide pan specially designed for paella – in fact, the pan and dish evolved together. If you don’t have access to a paella pan, it’s possible to use a very large skillet (at minimum, 12” in diameter), but in that case you should plan to skip the optional vegetables and only add as many clams as can comfortably sit in the rice with enough room to open up – give each one a half inch of wiggle room. Because you’ll be sauteing tomatoes and deglazing with wine, we recommend not using a cast iron skillet unless it’s very well seasoned.
A note about rice: "Paella rice" refers to rice used to make paella - usually short-grain varieties that can absorb a large amount of liquid and flavor without becoming mushy. Paella rice is widely available at higher-end grocery stores or you can find it online. Bomba rice is the gold standard. If you can't find bomba, look for calasparra. Italian rice such as maratelli or arborio rice will work in a pinch, but the dish will be a bit gummier in texture.
PROCEDURE
Gather and prep your ingredients: Dice the salami into small pieces, rinse your clams, peel your spot prawns in advance if you like (we cook ours with the shells on, and peel them at the table), and heat both containers of halibut saffron broth in a small pot over medium heat (you’ll want the broth to be hot before adding it to the rice later). If you love saffron and have some on hand, add an extra pinch to infuse the broth.
Make the sofrito: Heat your paella pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, swirl it
around, then add the salami, onion, garlic and a pinch of salt. Saute until the onion begins to soften, then add the smoked paprika and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
Add the tomatoes (with another pinch of salt) and continue cooking until they’re broken down and the onion is starting to turn golden. This is your sofrito, which will give your paella its base flavor. "Set” the rice: Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat each grain in sofrito. Add the white wine, stir to deglaze, and bring to a boil for one minute to cook off the alcohol. Add both pints of hot broth. Give it all a stir, then taste the liquid. It should taste very well seasoned and savory. If it needs more salt, add it now.
Spread the rice evenly over the bottom of the pan. From this point on, don’t stir the rice (this will allow the soccarat to develop). Cook uncovered for 10 minutes. If you’re using an open flame or charcoal, rotate the pan every few minutes to compensate for hot spots.
Add your featured ingredients: Place the clams evenly in the rice and cook for 5 minutes.
There should still be a thin layer of liquid bubbling across the surface at this point. (If the paella looks drier than that, cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil.)
Add the prawns, submerging the thickest part of each one in the rice, leaving the tail sticking up. Scatter the summer squash (if using) and diced butter over the top (If not using butter, add another glug of olive oil – the extra fat will help the socarrat develop.)
Let it all cook until the squash is soft, the broth has absorbed, and the prawns are firm, about 4-6 minutes more. Garnish with the optional snap peas, a squeeze of lemon, a grind of black pepper, and parsley.
If you were lucky enough to achieve soccarat, rejoice. If not, you still have a paella, so life is good. Enjoy!
Serve with a salad and side of bread and butter, and enjoy!
A few drink pairings we'd recommend:
- Bohigas Cava (a Spanish sparkling wine we serve in the Oyster Saloon)
- Rioja Rose, a fruity, fresh, and bright wine from the Rioja wine region in Spain
- Txakolina, a slightly sparkling, very dry white wine with high acidity and low alcohol
- Verdejo, a type of white wine made from a green-skinned grape variety that is mainly grown in Spain
- and if you'd like to pair a beer we'd recommend a bright, crisp lager or Estrella beer if you can find it!