Ultimate Mixed Paella Recipe
Receta de Imprescindible de Paella Mixta
2
Hours
20
Minutes
6
servings
Ingredients
- 8 cups very strong chicken broth (bouillon)
- 1 tsp saffron threads
- 1 tsp smoked Spanish paprika (Pimentón de la Vera)
- 1 small onion, peeled
- 6 large bone-in skin on chicken thighs, about 2 pounds
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 lb Spanish cooking chorizo, cut into 1/4 inch slices
- 1/4 lb Serrano ham, diced
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 8 oz fire roasted tomatoes, diced
- 4 scallions, green part only, chopped
- 4 tbsp chopped garlic
- 6 roasted piquillo peppers, coarsely chopped
- 1 lb small or medium shrimp, shells on or off to your taste
- 3 lobster tails, split lengthwise (optional); OR
- 3 live lobsters, boiled, tails split lengthwise and claw meat removed (discard or keep the head and small claws for an impressive garnish) (optional)
- 12 cooked King crab claws (optional)
- 18 small clams and/or mussels (If using clams, soak them in salted water for a couple of hours to remove any sand. Discard any clams that do not close.
- 3 cups short grain Spanish rice such as Bomba
- 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
- 5 tbsp chopped parsley
- 2 bay leaves, crumbled
- Lemon slices or wedges for garnish
Nutritional Facts
- Serving Size 45.8 oz/1299 gr
- Calories 1539
- Calories From Fat 585
- Total Fat 65.3 gr (100%)
- Saturated Fat 15.1 gr (76%)
- Trans Fat 0.2 gr
- Cholesterol 590 mg (197%)
- Sodium 5532 mg (231%)
- Total Carbohydrates 96 gr (32%)
- Fiber 6 gr (24%)
- Sugars 8 gr
- Protein 135 gr (270%)
- Vitamin A 67%
- Vitamin C 279%
- Calcium 37%
- Iron 61%
* Percent Daily Values are based on 2000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your caloric needs.
While paella started as a farm worker's lunch, this version is far from everyday. We've combined all of our favorites into one ultimate paella that is visually show stopping and decadently delicious. Combining chicken, sausage, Serrano ham, shrimp, crab and lobster, this paella will have your guests talking about what you served well after the event is over!
Steps
Heat the broth with the saffron, pimentón and the whole onion. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Discard the onion and keep broth warm.
Dry the chicken well with paper towels and season with salt. Heat the oil in a 15” paella pan , add the chicken thighs and fry both sides over high heat until golden. Remove to a warm platter. Add the chorizo and jamón to the pan and stir fry about 10 minutes. Lower heat to medium and add the chopped onion, tomatoes, scallions, garlic, and pimientos. Sauté until the onion is soft. Add the shrimp and lobster tails and sauté about 3 minutes more, or until the shrimp and lobster barely turn pink (the shellfish will cook more in the oven.) If using whole boiled lobster, omit adding the cooked tails with the shrimp. Remove the shrimp and lobster to the platter with the chicken.
Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat it well with the oil. Sprinkle in the 5 tablespoons of chopped parsley and the crumbled bay leaves. (You can make in advance up to this point.) Stir in the warm chicken broth, rice, and peas. Salt to taste. Bring to a boil. Bury the shrimp and the chicken in the rice. Arrange lobster tails facing up on top. Add the clams and/or mussels into the mixture one-by-one, evenly distributing throughout and placing the shellfish so they open facing up.
Bake at 325°F uncovered for 20 minutes. After 10 minutes tuck in the lobster claws and king crab claws if using. Remove from the oven and let sit on top of the stove, lightly covered with foil, for about 10 minutes. Discard any mussels or clams that did not open. Decorate the paella with the lobster heads if using. Garnish with lemon slices before serving. Serve with crusty bread and a crisp Spanish white or rosé wine! Cook’s note: If a 15” paella pan is too big to fit into your oven, finish the paella on the stovetop by simmering for an additional 15-20 minutes until all of the broth has been absorbed-adding extra liquid if necessary. It is important to not stir the paella during this step. COOK'S NOTE Customize this recipe by replacing any of the proteins with an equal amount of the protein of your choice.
6 Comments
Absolutely loved this recipe. We’ve made it several times. I just got a new 17” pan. Any suggestions for how to adapt this recipe for my new larger pan and increase the servings?
This is very close to my Mom’s recipe that was the best I ever had. One secret she always did was to take the shells of the shimp and boil them to make broth. She would use shrimp broth along with chicken broth.
Fantastic recipe! It’s the same one my grand-mother used to make when I was a kid. I grew up with it, but she passed away without sharing the recipe. It brings back so many good memories.
You can’t go wrong. Perfect!
This is, by far, the best paella recipe around. It’s rich, savory, complex and spectacular. Be sure to use all Spanish ingredients including olive oil, paprika and, especially, the choriso. Mexican choriso will ruin it. I have used American Speck instead of Jamon Serrano without harm though. Be sure that there is a good piece of fat on the Speck; it’s where the flavor comes from. A simple riff on this recipe tones it down and makes it acceptable for people who don’t/can’t eat shellfish: Use chicken stock instead of seafood/fish stock. Chicken thighs for the meat and FRESH peas. Mmmmmm.