If you are looking for a one-pot kind of meal that’s equal parts flavor and comfort, look no further than a good Spanish Paella. It might be intimidating with all the different ingredients and spices involved but it’s actually pretty straightforward. Take a look at this recipe and try it out at home.
Ingredients:
¼ cup Olive oil
1 onion (diced)
1 bell pepper (diced)
4 cloves of garlic
3 tomatoes (diced)
Bay leaf
1 teaspoon paprika
1 pinch of saffron
¼ cup white wine
4 boneless and skinless chicken thighs (sliced into pieces)
¼ cup fresh parsley
2 cups rice
5 cups chicken broth
½ cup peas
12 pieces of large shrimp or prawns (peeled)
12 pieces mussels (in shell)
12 pieces calamari rings
Lemons
*If you do not own a Paella pan you may use a skillet or a saute pan.
Directions:
Place your pan on medium heat and add olive oil.
Add your diced onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Mix together and let it cook for a couple minutes.
Add the diced tomato, bayleaf, paprika, saffron, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything well and let it cook for 5 minutes.
Add in the white wine and cook for 10 minutes. Make sure to taste the mixture and add extra seasoning if needed.
Add in the chicken pieces and some of the chopped parsley as well as the rice. Let it cook for a couple minutes.
Gently pour in the chicken broth and stir only a couple of times to make sure the rice is evenly distributed in the pan.
Let the mixture reach a boil. Once it starts boiling reduce the heat to medium low.
Try not to stir the mixture too much if you want a slight crust to form at the bottom. Let it cool for about 15-20 minutes without a lid.
Add in the shrimp, mussels, and calamari into the mixture. Then add the peas on. Make sure you spread all of it evenly on top. Let everything continue cooking without mixing or stirring.
Keep watch on the amount of liquid in your pan. If your rice is not fully cooked yet and the liquid is low, you may add a ¼ cup of water or broth.
Once the rice and everything on top is cooked well remove the pan from the heat and add a lid on.
Let it sit and rest for about 10-15 minutes.
When ready to serve, use the rest of the parsley for garnish and add some lemon wedges on the side.
Tips and tricks:
Spanish rice is of course the best rice to use for this. However, if you cannot find Spanish rice or “bomba” rice, you may use medium grain rice. You may need to reduce the amount of broth you use if you are not using Spanish rice. It’s best not to wash the rice before using it. You want the outer layer of starch for this particular dish.
You may replace chicken with pork, turkey, or chorizo.
If you are not fond of seafood you may substitute the seafood with more meat or vegetables. And if you are fond of seafood you may use other kinds of shellfish and seafood such as scallops, clams, and even fish.
Saffron may be difficult to find, you may use saffron powder instead.
