Spanish Paella
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
History & Origin
Paella developed in the rice-growing country around Valencia, where farm workers cooked rice in wide pans over open fires. This mixed home version borrows the shallow-pan technique and saffron seasoning while combining chicken and seafood, a later style found far beyond Valencia.
Ingredients
- 12 oz boneless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
- 7 oz raw prawns, shells on if possible
- 5 oz cleaned squid, sliced into rings
- 8 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
- 1 1/2 cups bomba or other short-grain rice
- 750 ml / 3 cups hot chicken or seafood stock
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 2 ripe tomatoes, grated, or 7 oz crushed tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- large pinch saffron, steeped in 2 tbsp hot stock
- 2/3 cup green beans or peas
- 3 tbsp olive oil, salt, black pepper and lemon wedges
Steps
- Season the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a 34-36 cm / 13-14 in paella pan and brown the chicken well; move it to the outer edge.
- Add onion and pepper to the centre and cook until softened. Stir in garlic, grated tomato and paprika; cook until the sofrito is thick and glossy.
- Stir the rice through the sofrito for 1 minute. Pour in the hot stock and saffron, level the rice and bring to a brisk simmer. From this point, do not stir.
- Arrange the chicken and green beans over the rice. Simmer 10 minutes over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and cook 8 minutes more.
- Nestle in the squid, prawns and mussels. Cover loosely with foil and cook 5-8 minutes, until the rice is just tender and the mussels open; discard any that remain closed.
- Increase the heat for 30-60 seconds to form a lightly toasted socarrat on the base. Rest off the heat for 5 minutes and serve with lemon.
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