Best Lima Bean Paella Recipes

SPANISH PAELLA RECIPE

Steps:

• Mince the onion. Mince the garlic. Finely chop the tomatoes, removing the cores but keeping the seeds with their juices.
• Measure out all the remaining ingredients before you start. The cooking process goes fast!
• Dry the shrimp and add it to a bowl with 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. In your largest skillet or a 4-serving paella pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the shrimp and saute until it is just barely opaque, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove the shrimp and set it aside.
• In the same pan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil on medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic until just translucent, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chopped tomatoes, the remaining 1 teaspoon smoked paprika and red pepper flakes, and cook until the tomatoes have broken down and most of the liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in the stock, saffron and 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Sprinkle the rice evenly across the broth and tap the pan with a spoon to evenly spread the rice. Bring to a medium simmer and cook without stirring until liquid is absorbed, about 18 to 22 minutes (adjust the cook time as necessary if using a skillet).
• If your pan is large enough to span multiple burners on your stovetop, adjust the heat on each burner so you achieve a steady medium simmer. Rotate the pan every few minutes for an even cook.
• When the top of the rice is beginning to show through the liquid (about 10 minutes into the cook time), press the artichokes and peas lightly into the rice. Add the strips of red pepper over the top.
• In last few minutes, carefully watch the paella and rotate pan more frequently. As the paella finishes, you'll see the steam start to slow down as the water cooks out. If desired, peek at the bottom of a pan by using a knife to scrape back the rice - you shouldn't see any standing water. The sound will start to change from a simmer to a crackle. This indicates the crust is forming. Let the crackling continue for about 2 minutes before removing from the heat. If you smell any burning, remove immediately.
• When the paella is done, add the shrimp to top of paella and squeeze the lemon wedges onto the top of the pan. Sprinkle with a pinch or two of kosher salt and add the parsley, if using. Serve with additional lemon wedges.

LIMA BEAN PAELLA

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 1/2 cups chopped red onions, 1 ounce finely chopped smoked ham, 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme and bay leaves and sauté until onions are tender and golden, about 8 minutes. Add chicken pieces, 3 cups baby lima beans, Italian-style tomatoes with their juices and minced garlic cloves and bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until chicken pieces are cooked through and lima beans are tender, about 25 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Season mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer paella to large serving bowl. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme and serve.

PAELLA VALENCIANA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, mix pimenton with 2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1 tablespoon oil. Rub mixture all over chicken and let stand while you prepare remaining ingredients (or cover and refrigerate up to 2 days).
• Combine broth, rosemary, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small pot; crumble saffron into mixture. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat to lowest setting and cover to keep warm.
• Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 15-inch paella pan over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook, flipping once and occasionally turning pan to ensure even cooking, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Drain fat from pan and wipe out any blackened bits.
• Return pan to medium-high heat and swirl in remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and a large pinch of salt; cook, stirring often, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, until grains are well-toasted and begin to pop, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes and wine; cook until liquid has evaporated, about 30 seconds. Discard rosemary from reserved stock mixture and adjust seasoning as desired; add to pan. Bring to a boil and cook, without stirring, until liquid has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Add lima beans, broad beans, and artichoke hearts; nestle chicken into rice, skin-side up.
• Transfer to oven and bake until liquid has evaporated and rice is cooked through (top may look underdone, check just beneath for doneness), 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand, covered with foil, 5 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

PAELLA VALENCIANA

Steps:

• 1. Bring 10 cups of water to a boil over medium-high heat and add the dried beans. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until just tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Stir in 2 teaspoons of salt and let rest in their liquid for about 30 minutes before draining.
• 2. Cut up the rabbit: Cut off the hind legs, using a sharp boning knife to slice between each leg and the hip joint. Cut each hind leg into two pieces, slicing at the joint between the thigh and leg. Cut off the front legs, slicing between each leg and the shoulder joint. Cut the body into three sections: ribs, loin, and bottom, using a heavy meat cleaver. Cut the loin in half, then cut the ribs in half through the breast and backbone, then cut each half in half.
• 3. Prepare a wood (or charcoal) fire and heat the oil in a large paella pan set over the hottest part of the fire. Season the chicken and rabbit with 2 teaspoons each of salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and rabbit and fry over medium-high heat, turning the meat to brown all sides evenly, 8 to 10 minutes.
• 4. Add the tomatoes, onions, garlic, and green beans and continue to cook over medium heat until the beans are nearly tender, about 15 minutes. Add 10 cups of water and the rosemary sprig and move to the hottest part of the grill, or rearrange or add coals to raise the heat to high. Cover the pan with a grill lid.
• 5. Remove the lid when the water comes to a boil. Stir in 2 1/2 teaspoons of salt and the saffron, then sprinkle the rice evenly around the pan directly into the liquid, avoiding the meat.
• 6. Add the broad beans. Stir gently one time only to evenly distribute the rice (do not stir again). Remove the rosemary.
• 7. Cook, uncovered, turning the pan one-quarter turn every 5 minutes to help ensure even heat distribution. Cook the rice over high heat for 10 minutes, or until the water is almost absorbed, then move to a cooler part of the grill and cook at a gentle simmer over low heat for another 10 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid. The rice should be al dente when it is done; if it is too firm when the liquid is absorbed, add additional water 1 cup at a time, continuing cooking until the rice is done. During this period, keep the heat at a level that allows the liquid to simmer gently.
• 8. Remove the paella from the heat, and cover and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serve about 2 cups of the rice and vegetables and 1 piece each of the rabbit and chicken for each of 8 servings in large heated soup bowls. Or place the warm paella pan on the table and allow guests to serve themselves.

PAELLA COOKED OVER A WOOD-BURNING FIRE

Steps:

• Place chicken in a large bowl and add 4 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle chicken with paprika and 1 teaspoon salt; turn chicken to coat. Cover chicken and let marinate, refrigerated, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil; meanwhile, prepare an ice-water bath. With a paring knife, core tomatoes, and score an X on the bottoms. Working in batches, carefully lower tomatoes into boiling water; when skins begin to split, after 30 to 60 seconds, use a slotted spoon to transfer tomatoes to water bath.
• When tomatoes are cool, remove skins (use a paring knife, if necessary), and discard. Halve tomatoes. Remove seeds with a spoon, and discard. Finely chop tomatoes.
• Cut peppers crosswise into 1/4-inch strips; set aside. Using a mortar and pestle, grind together saffron and 1 tablespoon salt. Add saffron mixture to a medium bowl and add 2 cups chicken stock and cognac. Whisk until well combined; set aside.
• If using a charcoal grill, make a fire in your grill. When the charcoals are completely covered in gray ash, hold your hand about 5 inches above the grill grid; count how many seconds you can comfortably leave it there. When you can hold it there for 1 to 2 seconds, you have high heat and are ready to cook. Alternatively, you can cook the paella on a stove over high heat.
• Place a 20-inch paella pan with 3-inch sides over desired heat source. Coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil and heat, until pan is very hot, about 5 minutes. Add chicken thighs and cook, turning, until golden brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add pork and cook, turning, until browned, about 3 minutes more.
• Add peppers, onions, garlic, haricots verts, and tomatoes. Cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. Add calamari, and shrimp, and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes more; add clams and mussels.
• Add rice and stir to coat. Add reserved chicken stock mixture and let cook about 1 minute. Add 3 cups of stock and bring to a boil. Let cook, covered with the lid of the grill or aluminum foil, until rice is tender, about 15 minutes, adding more stock as necessary (you may not need to use all the stock).
• Add lima beans and peas and cook, until tender, about 3 minutes more. Season with salt and lemon juice; serve immediately.