What’s better than familiar comfort food? Spanish comfort food! Paella!!!
I fell in love with paella when I traveled to Spain (Madrid and Seville) in 2008 with my dear friend Diane. When I came home, I started playing with different paella recipes. There are many variations. I prefer a combination of seafood and meat. It’s so decadent…chicken, shrimp, mussels, chorizo and of course smokey fragrant saffron. This paella recipe has all of that and more!
What is Paella?
Paella is a classic, traditional Spanish dish of rice, saffron, chicken and vegetables. Coastal regions typically use seafood. The combination of meat and seafood in this recipe is divine. Rice is the foundation of this dish. Short grain or medium grain rice absorb all of the flavors. Unlike risotto, you don’t stir paella. You want to form what is called socarrat which is a beautiful crusty layer on the bottom of the pan. This is one of this key characteristics of paella. And no you do not need a paella pan to make it. A large heavy bottomed pan/skillet or even a large cast iron skillet will do. You can learn all about paella courtesy of The Chef & The Dish. Ready to give it a go?
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken – Boneless, skinless breast and/or thighs.
- Chorizo – Dry cured pork sausage that adds salty and smokey taste. You can substitute other cooked pork sausage like Andouille or Kielbasa.
- Tomatoes – Fresh chopped tomatoes. You can substitute 14.5 ounces of canned diced tomatoes, drained.
- Saffron – Has a very distinct flavor and really makes this dish. It is expensive but you only need a small amount. To enhance the color and aroma of the paella, soak the saffron in water for 30+ minutes.
- Lemon – zest
- Rice – Traditionally a Spanish short grain rice called Bomba rice is used in paella. Any short or even medium grain white rice will do. I find that Arborio rice works well.
- Broth – Chicken bone broth or low sodium chicken broth that is simmering before you add to the rice.
- Seafood – Mussels and shrimp. Other options include clams, scallops, calamari rings.
- Peas – Frozen peas
- Roasted Red Peppers – Jarred roasted red pepper strips, or buy whole roasted red peppers and slice thin.
Preparation
- Cook the chicken in olive oil until lightly browned. Add the chorizo and garlic and saute until browned. Stir in the tomatoes, saffron and lemon zest. Cook until the liquid cooks down.
- Add the rice. Then pour in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. While there is still liquid in the pan, stir in the peas.
3. Nestle the shrimp and mussels into the rice mixture. Layer the roasted red peppers evenly over the paella. Do not stir.
4. Simmer until all of the liquid evaporates. Continue to cook until a coat of toasty rice forms at the bottom of the pan. You should be able to smell the toasted rice.
Equipment
Paella pan, large heavy bottomed pan/skillet or large cast iron skillet.
PrintPaella
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
Chicken, shrimp, mussels, chorizo and of course smokey fragrant saffron. This paella recipe has all of that and more!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite size pieces
- 1/2 pound chorizo, cut into small pieces (1/4–1/2 inch)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon saffron
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 cup Arborio rice (or other short grain rice)
- 6 cups chicken bone broth or low sodium chicken broth, simmering
- 1/2 pound shrimp, tails on
- 12 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 cup roasted red pepper strips
- Parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a paella pan or large heavy bottomed skillet or pot, over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned, stirring often.
- Add the chorizo and garlic. Saute until nicely browned. Stir in the tomatoes, saffron and lemon zest. Cook until the liquid cooks off.
- Stir in the rice and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring it to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes. There should still be a good amount of liquid in the pan.
- Stir in the peas. Then nestle the shrimp and mussels into the rice mixture. Simmer until all of the liquid is absorbed. Then continue cooking for a few minutes until the bottom of the pan has formed a crust. Garnish with chopped parsley (optional) and serve.
Equipment
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40
- Category: Seafood
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Spanish
Keywords: Paella, Seafood, Spanish
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