Recipe
Paella de pollo y mariscos
Chicken and seafood paella built the Valencian way: a slow sofrito, proper short-grain rice, saffron stock absorbed without a single stir - and at the end, the prized socarrat crust on the bottom.
Paella de pollo y mariscos takes about 70 minutes and makes 4 servings. Each serving has 660 kcal.
- Preparation
- 25 minutes
- Cooking
- 45 minutes
- Total time
- 70 minutes
- Servings
- 4
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 660 kcal
- Protein
- 39 g
- Carbohydrates
- 70 g
- Fat
- 22 g
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs400 g
- Seafood mix400 g
- Paella rice (bomba or arborio)320 g
- Saffron threads1 pinch
- Fish or seafood stock900 ml
- Red onion1 pc
- Red bell pepper1 pc
- Tomatoes2 pcs
- Garlic3 cloves
- Sweet paprika1 tsp
- Frozen peas100 g
- Olive oil4 tbsp
- Lemon1 pc
- Salt1 pinch
Instructions
- 1
Warm the stock, crumble in the saffron and let it steep for 10 minutes; keep it hot on the side.
- 2
Heat the oil in your widest, shallowest pan and brown the chicken pieces well for 6 minutes; push them to the rim.
- 3
Make the sofrito: cook the finely chopped onion, pepper and garlic low and slow for 10 minutes until soft and sweet.
- 4
Add the grated tomatoes and paprika and cook the sofrito down for 5 minutes, until dark and jammy.
- 5
Stir in the rice and toast it for 2 minutes, until every grain is coated and turning translucent at the edges.
- 6
Pour in the hot saffron stock, spread everything into an even layer, season - and from this moment on, do not stir again.
Tip: Stirring releases starch and turns paella into risotto. The rice must sit undisturbed so the bottom can toast.
- 7
Simmer briskly, uncovered, for 10 minutes - rotate the pan now and then if the heat is uneven, but keep your spoon away.
- 8
Lower the heat, nestle the seafood and peas onto the surface and cook 8 more minutes, until the liquid is gone and the rice is just tender.
- 9
Raise the heat to high for about 90 seconds to build the socarrat - listen for a faint crackle from the bottom.
Tip: A gentle crackle and a toasty smell mean the crust is forming; a sharp burnt smell means it is done - pull it off immediately.
- 10
Off the heat, cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel and rest for 5 minutes, then serve from the pan with lemon wedges.
Cooking methods
On the stove
Use the largest burner and a wide, thin-based pan - depth is the enemy, the rice should lie two grains thick. If your burner is smaller than the pan, rotate the pan a quarter-turn every few minutes for an even socarrat.
On induction
Brown at power 8, sofrito at 4, simmer at 6, then finish the socarrat at 9 for a minute. A flat-bottomed paella pan or a wide stainless sauté pan makes proper contact; rotate it if your zone is smaller than the base.
Over an open fire
Paella over fire is the original: spread the embers wide so the whole base gets even heat, and control temperature by raking coals in and out. The crackle of the socarrat is easier to hear outdoors than you would think.
Recipe questions
- How long does this recipe take?
- Plan for about 70 minutes from start to finish.
- How many servings does this recipe make?
- This recipe makes 4 servings.
- Can I cook this recipe on induction?
- Yes. Brown at power 8, sofrito at 4, simmer at 6, then finish the socarrat at 9 for a minute. A flat-bottomed paella pan or a wide stainless sauté pan makes proper contact; rotate it if your zone is smaller than the base.
- Can I cook this recipe over an open fire?
- Yes. Paella over fire is the original: spread the embers wide so the whole base gets even heat, and control temperature by raking coals in and out. The crackle of the socarrat is easier to hear outdoors than you would think.
In the app
Cooking the way it should feel
One step on screen, a timer that keeps going, and clear progress until the dish is done.
