Maria’s Paella

Description

This is the paella all your family and friends will beg you to make again. It has the true flavor of Spain and has been made by my family in Catalonia, Spain for many generations. Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 ¼ pounds chicken thighs
  • ½ cup onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • ½ green bell pepper, diced
  • ½ red bell pepper, diced
  • ¼ pound calamari rings
  • ¼ pound small shrimp – peeled and deveined
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons saffron threads
  • 1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • ½ cup peas
  • 3 cups long grain rice
  • 6 cups water
  • 6 large clams in shell, scrubbed
  • 6 jumbo shrimp in shells (21-25 per lb.)
  • 6 large sea scallops
  • 6 wedges lemon

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in a very large skillet or paella pan over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke. Place chicken thighs skin-side down into oil and sear until golden brown on both sides
  2. about 5 minutes; set aside.
  3. Stir in onion and garlic
  4. and cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent
  5. about 1 minute. Add green and red bell peppers
  6. calamari
  7. and small shrimp; cook for 2 minutes more.
  8. Stir in salt
  9. saffron
  10. tomatoes
  11. peas
  12. rice
  13. and water until well combined. Add chicken thighs
  14. and simmer for 15 minutes over medium-high heat
  15. stirring frequently to make sure rice does not stick.
  16. Decoratively nestle clams and jumbo shrimp into the rice. Reduce heat to medium-low
  17. cover
  18. and simmer for 10 minutes. Place the scallops into the paella
  19. recover
  20. and continue simmering until the rice is tender and the scallops firm and opaque
  21. about 5 minutes. Garnish with lemon wedges to serve.

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 40 mins

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins

Servings: 6

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