Name: Maria's Classic Paella
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 55 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 4 cups chicken stock; 20 saffron threads, crushed; 3/4 cup olive oil; 4 chicken thighs; 1 cup chopped onion; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 4 links chorizo de bilbao (spicy Spanish semi-cured sausage); 2 cups Spanish paella rice; 2 teaspoons Spanish sweet paprika; 1/2 cup grated peeled roma (plum) tomatoes; 8 clams in shell, scrubbed, or more to taste; 8 mussels, cleaned and debearded, or more to taste; 8 prawns, peeled and deveined (leave tails); 3 red bell peppers, cut into strips; 10 ounces peas; salt and ground black pepper to taste; 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley; 8 wedges lemon; 1 baguette, sliced

Maria's Classic Paella

⏱️ Ready in 1h 20m 🥄 Prep 25 min 🔥 Cook 55 min 👥 8 servings 👁️ 5 views

I have loved paella since the first time I tried it while traveling through Spain at 17. Though I could never make it as great as my friend's mom in Madrid, this recipe comes so close! It's a favorite at our house for Sunday dinner and tastes all the better when made in a traditional paella pan (brought back in a suitcase, no less!). I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

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🔗 Recipe adapted from AllRecipes

👨‍🍳 Instructions

Bring stock to a simmer in a stockpot over medium-low heat.

Stir crushed saffron into the simmering stock.

Heat olive oil in a paella pan over medium heat.

Fry chicken thighs in hot oil until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes more.

Arrange the chorizo into the pan around the chicken thighs and cook until warmed, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

Pour rice into the paella pan and stir to coat with oil; season with sweet paprika.

Stir grated tomato into the rice and cook until the tomato is warmed, 2 to 3 minutes.

Pour chicken stock into the paella pan and bring to a boil while scraping any browned bits of food off the bottom of the pan with a flat-edged wooden spoon.

Smooth surface of rice with the wooden spoon in an even layer so it cooks evenly.

Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, without stirring, until the rice has softened but has yet to completely absorb the stock, 15 to 30 minutes.

Place clams and mussels, hinged-side down, into the rice; continue simmering until the mussels and clams open, 5 to 7 minutes.

Nestle prawns into the rice; add bell pepper and peas.

Continue cooking until the bottom of the rice is browned and fragrant, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and cool 5 to 10 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle parsley over the paella, and garnish with lemon wedges.

Serve with baguette slices.

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