Mexican Seafood Paella

MEXICAN PAELLA

Steps:

• Place chicken broth and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a medium saucepan. Cover and heat over low heat.
• Over a low gas flame or under the broiler, roast poblano pepper, turning frequently, until charred, about 5 minutes over flame or 10 minutes under broiler. Remove from heat and cover with a clean kitchen towel until cool enough to handle. Rub off charred skin using a paper towel; remove stem and seeds. Rinse pepper and pat dry; cut into 1/2-inch strips; set aside.
• Place tomatoes and their juices in the jar of a blender. Blend until smooth; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat olive oil in a 12-inch paella pan over medium-high heat. Season skin side of chicken thighs with salt and place skin-side down in pan; season with salt. Cook until skin is deep golden, about 10 minutes. Turn and cook until chicken is browned and juices run clear, about 10 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a large rimmed baking sheet and set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium and add onion and chorizo. Cook, stirring, until chorizo is cooked through and onion begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add reserved poblano pepper and tomato puree. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and oil begins to separate from mixture, about 5 minutes.
• Add rice to pan and cook, stirring, until rice turns milky white in color, 4 to 5 minutes. Add heated chicken broth and stir to combine. Cook, without stirring, until rice has absorbed most of the liquid and is almost cooked through, about 12 minutes.
• Return chicken to pan and nestle into the center of the rice. Arrange shrimp in a ring around the chicken and the mussels in the rice at the edge of the pan. Cover the pan with a piece of parchment paper-lined aluminum foil; transfer to oven and bake for 15 minutes.
• Remove paella from oven and stir in peas, parsley, and tequila, if desired. Using a large serving spoon, gently fluff mussels and shrimp into rice mixture. Re-cover and let stand for 10 minutes until rice and shellfish are cooked through. Serve immediately.

MEXICAN SEAFOOD PAELLA

Steps:

• Saute onions, bellpeppers, garlic, and crab legs in olive oil until onions are translucent.
• Add rice to pan. Saute, stirring frequently, until rice turns golden brown.
• Mix Sazón packet with 1 cup of the chicken stock.
• Add wine and Sazón mixture to pan. Stir until liquid is absorbed.
• Add chicken stock, shrimp, and tuna. Stir once, lay lobster on top, making sure to submerge the exposed meat, then cover.
• Cook for 15 minutes. Do not uncover the pan during this time.
• Add peas and tomato. Recover and cook for an additional 5 minutes.