My Paella recipe has been evolving over the years and these days it consists of chicken, shrimp, mussels, clams and a really smoky chorizo that highlights some of the spices! If you were feeling extra special and decadent you could add some lobster to this too!
2bonelessskinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
¼cupolive oil
2Spanish chorizo sausagesthickly sliced on a bias
1yellow oniondiced
4garlic cloveschopped
1bunchflat-leaf parsley leaveschopped
1can15-ounce fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 ½cupsmedium grain Spanish rice
3cupswater
generous pinch saffron
10littleneck clamscleaned
10musselscleaned
10medium shrimppeeled and deveined
½cupfrozen sweet peasthawed
lemon wedgesfor serving
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
Combine the paprika and dried oregano in a small bowl. Rub the paprika mixture all over the chicken and marinate chicken for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Heat the oil in a 15-inch paella pan over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo to the pan and sauté the chorizo until browned. Remove and reserve chorizo.
Add chicken to the pan and brown on all sides, turning with tongs until fully cooked. Season with salt and cracked pepper. Remove from pan and reserve. In the same pan, sauté the onions, garlic and parsley for 2 or 3 minutes on medium heat.
Add the fire-roasted tomatoes and cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes to let the flavors come together. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains in the mixture. Add the water and simmer for 10 minutes, slowly stirring the rice. Add chicken and chorizo back to the pan along with the saffron. Add the clams, mussels and shrimp, tucking them into the rice. Continue to cook until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid, the shrimp is cooked and the mussels and clams have opened, about 15 minutes more.
Add the peas and toss to combine. If any of the clams or mussels do not open, discard them before serving. When the paella is done, turn up the heat to high and toast the rice on the bottom of the pan for 30 seconds. Remove the paella from the heat and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Serve with the extra lemon wedges and season with Sea Salt or Cracked Black Pepper to taste if needed.
Notes
Seafood is the classic paella protein but you can use any sort of protein you prefer.