Paella Valencia

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1. 1Step 1: Brine your chicken a day in advance.
2. 2Step 2: Use a 4-to-1 ratio of water to salt (1 tbsp. salt per quart of water) to create a brine. Let the chicken brine for 24 hours.
3. 3Step 3: To make your wet adobo, combine all respective ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.
4. 4Step 4: Generously rub the marinade on the chicken, and allow it to sit for between one hour and one day. Set a portion of the marinade aside, and reserve for later when grilling the chicken.
5. 5Step 5: Add a pinch of smoked paprika and black pepper to the marinated chicken, mix together, and place chicken on the grill.
6. 6Step 6: Brush reserved marinade on chicken occasionally as it continues to cook.
7. 7Step 7: Grill the chicken until it’s almost completely cooked through, but not quite. It will finish cooking in the oven later.
8. 8Step 8: Heat up your paella pan on the stove with extra virgin olive oil.
9. 9Step 9: Add the sofrito ingredients and begin to fry.
10. 10Step 10: After a minute or so, add chorizo, and stir to mix with the sofrito.
11. 11Step 11: Don’t hesitate to add more olive oil if you feel it needs it.
12. 12Step 12: Next, add your rice, and stir to combine with the other ingredients, then add the mussels.
13. 13Step 13: Pour in the saffron broth. The quantity should be about a 2-to-1 ratio of broth to rice.
14. 14Step 14: Add piquillo peppers, fresh peas, and olives, and let the broth come up to a simmer on the stove.
15. 15Step 15: Once it’s simmering, add in the grilled chicken.
16. 16Step 16: Cover the paella pan with aluminum foil, and place in the oven at 375 F for 25-30 minutes, or until the rice is nice and tender.
17. 17Step 17: While the paella is baking, prepare your baguette and aioli.
18. 18Step 18: Coat the baguette slices in extra virgin olive oil, and toast on a flat-top range or in the oven until they’re crispy on both sides.
19. 19Step 19: Mix all the ingredients for the saffron aioli together, and spread on top of the toasted baguette slices.
20. 20Step 20: Pull the paella out of the oven, remove foil, and place back on the lit stovetop, allowing the rice along the edges of the pan to develop a crispy textured layer. This layer is called socarrat.
21. 21Step 21: While the socarrat develops, add the pieces of bread on top of the dish in a nice circular pattern.
22. 22Step 22: Add lemon petals around the dish as well, and squeeze a little fresh lemon juice over everything.
23. 23Step 23: You should hear a sizzling sound coming from the pan. That’s the socarrat developing its crispy layer.
24. 24Step 24: Once that’s done, garnish the dish with watercress leaves, a little more olive oil, and a sprinkle of smoked paprika.
25. 25Step 25: Serve immediately.