Paella with clams, Serrano Ham, and Chorizo Sausage

Serrano ham is so adored by the Spanish that it is often served on its own, accompanied by nothing more than a glass of sherry.

Savor it here as a flavorful accent to this scrumptious rice. If serrano ham is unavailable, the more readily available Italian prosciutto makes a good substitute.

  • Serves 8
  • 25 minutes preparation + 55 minutes cooking
  • Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

  • §1/2 cup (4 fl. oz) olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped fine
  • 4 oz chorizo sausage, crumbled and with casing removed
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups (18 oz) rice
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
  • 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
  • 2 large tomatoes, skinned, seeded, and chopped
  • 4 1/4 cups (34 fl. oz) chicken broth
  • 1/4 teaspoon powdered saffron
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • One 14-oz can clams, drained
  • 8 oz serrano ham, cut into thin strips
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • Lemon wedges, to serve

Preparation

Heat the oil in a paella pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes or until the onion begins to soften.

Add the garlic and cook for several minutes more. Drop in the chorizo sausage and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Mix in the bell peppers and tomatoes, reduce the heat to low, and cook for a further 10 minutes.

Stir in the rice, increase the heat to medium, and sauté for 5 minutes. Pour in the broth, turmeric, saffron, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste, and cook for about 15 minutes.

Add in the clams, ham, and parsley and cook for a further 7 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender.

Garnish with lemon wedges and serve.

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Which Paella pan should I use? After receiving many inquires on what are the right size and characteristics for a paella pan, we've made a bit of research, and retrieved some information on that issue. We usually use regular, 15-inches paella pan, but we've managed to find some other sizes also. So if you want to find out which paella pan size suits you best, just keep reading...