The Culinary Architect: Dora’s famous, once-a-year paella

We are very lucky to have dear friends and even luckier that they are great cooks and  we share a birthday exactly seven days apart.  
Every year, Dora makes a Paella Feast in honor of our birthdays.  
I think she only makes this dish once a year, as it is quite a time-consuming endeavor.  
But, the good news is most of the work may be done ahead of time!  
Read the instructions carefully and follow them closely and a delicious feast will be yours.  
Round out this traditional Spanish meal with Sangria, a deconstructed salad and Flan — store bought or restaurant made if you are not ambitious
Raise a glass of Sangria and toast the chef who makes this fabulous, festive dinner.
MENU
Serves 10-12
Sangria*
Dora’s Paella
Deconstructed Salad
Flan*
*Recipe Not Given
Basic Ingredients
18-24  raw shrimp shelled 
and deveined (with the 
heads on if possible)
18-24 small clams scrubbed 
(little necks)
1 lb of mussels cleaned and 
debearded
1 lb calamari cleaned and 
cut into pieces
5 chorizo sliced into ¼ inch 
rounds
1 ½ lbs pounds boneless 
chicken cut into chunks
½  lb of peas
olive oil
Sofrito
¼ cup of olive oil
1 lb of lean, boneless 
pork cut into ¼ inch cubes
2 large onions, finely 
chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
5 lbs tomatoes, peeled, 
seeded, chopped 
Rice Base
3 cups short grain rice 
(Arborio)
½  teaspoon saffron threads 
pulverized with mortar 
& pestle
6 cups of chicken broth 
(College Inn low sodium) 
or Homemade
NOTE: The secret of perfect paella is all in the rice.   
Be sure to use short grain rice and let it cook uncovered to prevent steaming.   
Do not wait until the rice tastes done before removing it from the oven.  
The rice should finish cooking away from the heat.  
Be careful or the grains will burst and turn mushy.
The basic ingredients may be adjusted according to taste.  
 
PREPARE THE BASIC
INGREDIENTS AHEAD
MAKE THE SOFRITO:  
1.  Put ¼ cup olive oil in a frying pan and heat.  Quickly brown the pork on all sides.  Add onions, garlic, and tomato.  
2.  Cook until most of the liquid evaporates stirring constantly.  
3.  When mixture is thick, set the sofrito aside. [This may be made ahead of time and even frozen before use.]
ABOUT 60-90 MINUTES BEFORE YOU PLAN TO SERVE THE PAELLA:
1.  In a frying pan, sauté rice in 4 tbs. of olive oil until translucent.  (amount does need to be exact- just use enough to coat the bottom of the pan)
2.  Boil chicken broth, add saffron to it then pour over the rice, while stirring constantly.  
3. Add sofrito and continue to stir until well blended.  Adjust seasonings to taste.  
4. Preheat oven to 4000 F.  
5. Transfer rice mixture into a paella dish or a roasting pan. Arrange chicken, mussels, shrimp, clams, chorizo, etc  and scatter peas on top.  
6. Set the dish on the lower shelf of oven, bake uncovered for 35-45 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed.
NOTE:  DO NOT STIR THE RICE ONCE IT GOES INTO THE OVEN
1.  When the paella is done, remove from oven and place a kitchen towel loosely over the top.  
2.  Let rest for at least 30 minutes so flavors can fully absorb into each other.
Deconstructed Salad
Dora places all of the ingredients on several serving plates so that each person can make their own salad their way.  Leftovers are easily packaged up and nothing ends up wilted!
Greens (romaine) washed 
and crisped and placed in a 
salad bowl
Cucumber cleaned and 
sliced
Tomatoes washed, 
cored and chunked
Scallion washed and 
sliced thinly Red onion 
Roasted peppers placed on 
a platter with Artichoke 
hearts and Hearts of Palm
Carrot
Roasted Beets
Toasted walnuts placed 
in a ramekin
Crumbled blue cheese 
placed in a ramekin
Dressing-  Aged Red Wine 
Vinaigrette