Ingredients
- 8 Chicken thighs ; boneless and skinless
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Spanish chorizo sausages ; thickly sliced
- Kosher ; salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 Spanish onion ; diced
- 4 garlic cloves ; crushed
- Handful ; flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1/2 cup Tomato puree or chopped tomatoes ; drained and hand-crushed
- 1 1/4 cups short grain Spanish rice such as Bomba
- 1 liter Chicken stock ; warm
- Generous ; pinch saffron threads
- 1 dozen Mussels ; scrubbed
- 12 large Shrimp ; peeled and de-veined
- Lemon ; wedges
Instructions
- Heat oil in a paella pan over medium-high heat. Saute the chorizo until browned, remove and reserve. Salt and Pepper chicken then add to the pan and brown on all sides. Remove from pan and reserve.
- In the same pan, make a sofrito by sauteing the onions, garlic, and parsley. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes on a medium heat. Then, add tomatoes and cook until the mixture caramelizes a bit and the flavors meld. Fold in the rice and stir-fry to coat the grains. Pour in chicken stock and simmer for 10 minutes, gently moving the pan around so the rice cooks evenly and absorbs the liquid. Add chicken, shrimp, chorizo, and saffron. Give the paella pan a good shake and let it simmer, without stirring, until the rice is al dente, for about 15 minutes. Stick in the mussels hinge side down.
- When the paella is cooked and the rice looks fluffy and moist, turn the heat up for 40 seconds until you can smell the rice toast at the bottom, then it's perfect. The crusty bottom is called soccarat and is much sought after. Remove from heat and rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with peas if using, parsley and lemon wedges.
