Authentic Paella

Paella is just about the most elegant one-dish meal anywhere, but surprisingly, it is not hard to make. This recipe has seafood and chicken, and those magical saffron threads that provide its fragrant flavor.

• Preparation Time: 50 mins
• Cooking Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 35 mins
• Calories: 591 Calories

Ingredients

• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 cup green peas
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
• 6 cups chicken stock, divided
• 5 saffron threads
• 1 (3 pound) whole chicken, cut into small pieces
• 2 cups peeled and deveined small shrimp, diced
• 6 small lobster tails
• 1 (8 ounce) jar mushrooms, drained
• 1 (2 ounce) can mussels
• 0.5 teaspoon curry powder
• 0.25 cup olive oil
• 2.5 cups uncooked white rice
• 0.5 pound clams in shell, scrubbed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Rinse the rice with cold water; drain; set aside. Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to low, cover, and keep warm. Work the garlic, parsley, curry powder, saffron threads, salt, black pepper, and 1/2 cup of the hot chicken stock together with a mortar and pestle until a smooth liquid forms; set the seasoning liquid aside.

Step 2

Heat the olive oil in a paella pan over medium-high heat; cook and stir the onion until lightly browned. Stir in the chicken, shrimp, lobster, and clams; cook and stir until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes. Pour in the seasoning liquid.

Step 3

Stir in the rice, pour in the hot chicken stock, and simmer until the rice is nearly tender, about 15 minutes. Add mushrooms, peas, and mussels; stir two times, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand until rice is soft and flaky, about 7 minutes.