Best Classic Paella Recipes

CLASSIC PAELLA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 F. Bring 5 cups chicken broth to simmer in large saucepan over medium heat. Add saffron; simmer 5 minutes. Cover and set aside. Mix cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper in small bowl. Rub all of mixture over chicken, coating each piece completely. Heat oil in very large wide ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken and saute until golden brown on both sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to medium bowl, leaving drippings in pot. Place same pot over high heat. Add bell peppers, onions, and garlic; saute until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add sausage; saute until browned, breaking up with back of fork, about 5 minutes. Add rice; stir 2 minutes. Add reserved saffron to broth; bring to boil. Add chicken; stir to combine, Reduce heat to medium; cover, and simmer until rice is tender and almost all liquid is absorbed, about 15 mintes. Add clams and mussels to pot; stir to combine. Place shrimp and scallops atop rice mixture; cover and cook until clams and mussels open, adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if mixture is dry, about 12 minutes (discard any clams or mussels that do not open). Season paella with salt and pepper. Transfer to large rimmed platter or bowl, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

MARIA'S CLASSIC PAELLA

Steps:

• 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.