Gerard Nebesky’s Paella

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Heat a 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, or heat a paella pan on a grill over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, red bell pepper, and nora chile and sauté until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and scrape out onto a plate.

   Step 2

   Season the chicken thighs all over with salt. Put them in the skillet, skin side down, and brown thoroughly on both sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

   Step 3

   Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium and add the garlic cloves and onion; season with salt. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 12 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and cook until syrupy, 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Crush the paprika, saffron, and 1 teaspoon salt with a mortar and pestle, and stir into the sauce.

   Step 4

   Add the clams, cover, and remove them as they open, 5 to 10 minutes; set the clams aside. (Discard any that do not open.)

   Step 5

   Return the chicken to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Scatter the rice evenly in the pan, turning the chicken to let the rice fall to the bottom of the pan, but do not stir! Nestle the shrimp, mussels, green beans, and chickpeas into the liquid. Adjust the heat to maintain a brisk simmer.

   Step 6

   Turn the shrimp over to cook them through. Add the bell pepper mixture. Cook until all of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is caramelized on the bottom of the pan, 20 to 25 minutes. About 5 minutes before the rice is fully cooked, add the fish to the pan along with the cooked clams, lemon wedges, and parsley. If you need more liquid, add the reserved chickpea liquid.

   Step 7

   Let stand for 5 minutes. Then drizzle with olive oil, and serve.