Maria's Paella

This delicious seafood paella with calamari has been made by my family in Catalonia, Spain, for many generations. Chicken, shrimp, squid, clams, and scallops are perfectly cooked in saffron-flavored rice.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Calories: 814 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups water
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 6 large sea scallops
• 2 teaspoons saffron threads
• 3 cups long grain rice
• 6 large clams in shell, scrubbed
• 6 jumbo shrimp in shells (21-25 per lb.)
• 6 wedges lemon
• 0.5 red bell pepper, diced
• 0.5 cup olive oil
• 0.5 green bell pepper, diced
• 0.5 cup peas
• 0.5 cup onion, diced
• 1.25 pounds chicken thighs
• 0.25 pound calamari rings
• 0.25 pound small shrimp - peeled and deveined

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat olive oil in a very large skillet or paella pan over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke. Sear chicken thighs, skin-side down, in hot oil until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken thighs to a plate and set aside.

Step 2

Stir onion and garlic into drippings in the skillet. Cook and stir until onion is softened and translucent, about 1 minute. Add calamari, small shrimp, and bell peppers; cook and stir for 2 minutes.

Step 3

Stir in water, rice, tomatoes, peas, saffron, and salt until well combined. Return chicken thighs to the skillet; simmer over medium-high heat for 15 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure rice does not stick.

Step 4

Decoratively nestle clams and jumbo shrimp into rice-chicken mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Place scallops into paella. Continue simmering, covered, until rice is tender and scallops are firm and opaque, about 5 minutes. Garnish with lemon wedges to serve.