This Spanish paella recipe is surely to become a favorite on your list of home cooked meals. It is packed with flavors and seafood. It also has a touch of chorizo to give it that added kick.
What is Spanish paella?
Spanish paella is a traditional rice dish that originated in Spain. There are many variations, but it’s typically made with rice, meats, seafood and vegetables. The rice is cooked to produce a crispy bottom.
How to prepare paella?
Ingredients:
- Ground chorizo – I used ground chorizo because I feel it provides a little more flavor to this dish. However, whole chorizo sausage can be used as well. Just slice it up, and sear on both sides.
- Grapeseed, olive or avocado oil – This is used to sear your meat and veggies.
- Sherry wine – will deglaze your pan, and also add a great flavor to your dish.
- Red bell pepper
- Yellow onion
- Minced garlic – I highly recommend mincing the garlic on your own. I know jarred minced garlic is convenient, but trust me, fresh is much better.
- Cayenne pepper – Adds the perfect spice that we need for this dish.
- Dried thyme – Adds a fresh, earthy flavor that is an necessity for this dish.
- Bay Leaf – Adds a fresh, earthy flavor like the thyme, but it also has a hint of pine.
- Valencia Rice – Primary go-to rice for paella. See my notes for substitutions
- Saffron threads – This is going to give your dish that beautiful color that you normally see in paella.
- Chicken broth – Some people use water. I use broth because it adds a more depth of flavor.
- Roma tomatoes
- Frozen sweet peas
- Prawns – I prefer to remove the heads, and peel an devein the prawns. However, you can leave the heads on if you desire.
- Fresh mussels – cleaned and beards removed. Scrub these mussels to remove any noticeable debris. If you are unsure what a beard is, it’s a thread attached to mussels. The beards resembles hair. To remove it, just simply use two fingers to pull it out. They are pretty strong, so pull hard. Also, if mussels are opened prior to cooking, discard them.
- Lemons – for garnish
- Fresh chopped parsley – for garnish
Simples steps:
- Cook the chorizo until lightly browned. I like to crumble the ground chorizo into large pieces.
- Leave the drippings and oil in bottom of pan. Deglaze the pan with the sherry wine. Add the onion and bell pepper. Stir in minced garlic, cayenne pepper, dried thyme and the bay leaf.
- Add the rice, chicken broth and saffron threads. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover, but do not stir. Cook until the rice is cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Nestle in the peas, roma tomatoes and the cooked chorizo.
- Add the prawns and mussels to pan. Cover, and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat, but keep covered for 10 minutes. Prawns should be pink and mussels should open. Garnish with parsley and lemon. Serve warm.
Notes, tips & Substitutions:
- I know a lot of recipes for Spanish paella you find on the internet, calls for a paella pan. However, using a paella pan is great, but it isn’t necessary. A large skillet will work just fine. Just make sure it is 12-14 inches.
- If you don’t eat pork, you can leave it out all together. Chicken is a great substitution. But, if you decided to use chicken, cut the chicken into 1/2 inch pieces. Season it with an all-purpose seasoning of your choice, then sear chicken pieces on each side for 3-5 minutes until fully cooked. Remove and let it rest, until ready to add back to the dish.
- Green, orange or yellow bell pepper can be used as well.
- Sherry – The sherry wine is used to deglaze the pan. While, it will also add an nutty flavor to the dish, you can substitute the sherry wine for a dry white wine if you like.
- Valencia – I’m against substituting the Valencia rice because is absorbs perfectly for this dish. In order to accomplish a perfect paella dish, you must use a rice with a good absorption ability. However, if you are unable to find Valencia rice, you substitute Arborio rice for Valencia rice. Arborio rice is frequently used in risotto dishes, and is also a good choice for paella, due its absorbing ability. Bomba is also a common rice for paella, but it is hard to find.
- It is important to not stir the rice. That’s only way we will get that nice crispy bottom, and that’s what we want.
- Prawns – Shrimp can be used as well. Prawns is more sweet, and less salty than shrimp.
- Discard any mussels that are opened prior to cooking.
Spanish Paella
Traditional Spanish paella made with chorizo, prawns and mussels in a a saffron flavored rice.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp. grapeseed or avocado oil
- chorizo ground or sliced, see note
- 1/4 cup sherry wine
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced see note
- 4 garlic cloves, minced or chopped
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups Valencia rice see note
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 pinch of saffron threads
- 2 roma tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 cup frozen sweet peas
- 1/2 lb. prawns, peeled, deveined, tail-off jumbo or extra large shrimp can be used as well.
- 12-14 mussels, cleaned and beard removed
- fresh chopped parsley for garnish
- lemon wedges for garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp. of oil over medium heat. Cook the chorizo until lightly browned. Remove from skillet and let rest on plate. Leave the drippings and oil in bottom of pan. Deglaze the pan with the sherry wine. Add the onion and bell pepper. Cook until translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in minced garlic, cayenne pepper, dried thyme and the bay leaf. Cooking, stirring occasionally for 1 minute.
- Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and saffron threads. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and cover, but do not stir. We want a crispy bottom. Cook for about 12-15 minutes until the rice is cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Discard the bay leaf. Nestle in the peas, roma tomatoes and the cooked chorizo. Be sure to add any juices or drippings from the plate the chorizo was resting on. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary. Add the prawns and mussels to pan. Cover and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat, but keep covered for 10 minutes. Prawns should be pink and mussels should open. Garnish with parsley and lemon. Serve warm.
Notes
-
- I know a lot of recipes for paella you find on the internet, calls for a paella pan. Using a paella pan is great, but it isn’t necessary. A large skillet will work just fine. Just make sure it is 12-14 inches.
-
- If you don’t eat pork, you can leave it out all together. Chicken is a great substitution. If you decide to use chicken, cut the chicken into 1/2 inch pieces. Season it with an all-purpose seasoning of your choice, then sear chicken pieces on each side for 3-5 minutes until fully cooked. Remove and let it rest, until ready to add back to the dish.
-
- Sherry – The sherry wine is used to deglaze the pan. While, it will also add an nutty flavor to the dish, you can substitute the sherry wine for a dry white wine if you like.
-
- Valencia – I’m against substituting the Valencia rice because is absorbs perfectly for this dish. In order to accomplish a perfect paella dish, you must use a rice that absorbs perfectly. However, if you are unable to find Valencia rice, you can substitute Arborio rice for Valencia rice. Arborio rice is frequently used in risotto dishes, and is also a good choice for paella, due its absorbing ability. Bomba is also a common rice for paella, but it is hard to find.
-
- It is important to not stir the rice. That’s the only way we will get that nice crispy bottom we want.
-
- Prawns – Shrimp can be used as well. Prawns is more sweet, and less salty than shrimp.
- When it comes to the bell peppers, you can also use green, orange or yellow.
- Discard any mussels that are opened prior to cooking.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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