Classic Spanish Paella
Serves: 6
Prep + Cook Time: One hour
Calories: 506 per serving
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion chopped
6 large cloves garlic finely chopped
1 small red bell pepper, diced into small pieces
4 large boneless skinless chicken thigh fillets cut into bite-sized pieces
4 large tomatoes chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine (sauv blanc, pinot gris) -- optional
Salt and pepper to taste
10-12 mussels scraped and cleaned properly
8 ounces (250 g) calamari rings
2 lobster tails, chopped into bite-size pieces (or 1/2 lb shrimp… or both!)
3 3/4 c. low sodium chicken broth or stock (or homemade fish stock)
2 c. medium grain or jasmine rice
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 tsp paprika (sweet or smoked)
1/2 tsp each garlic and onion powders
2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf chopped parsley
Fire roasted bell pepper strips
Directions:
Heat oil in a large sized non-stick pan or well seasoned skillet (or a paella pan if you have one), over medium heat. Fry onion, garlic and red bell pepper together; cook until onion is transparent (about 3 minutes).
Sauté chicken until golden on all sides. Add in the chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 minutes until they release liquid and the tomatoes begin to create a sauce.
Add the wine, mussels and calamari rings. Allow to cook for a further 5 minutes; allow the wine to evaporate to half the quantity, then pour in the stock (or broth), rice, and saffron. Mix all ingredients until well combined.
Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and cover to allow MOST of the liquid to absorb into the rice, while stirring occasionally to prevent rice from sticking and burning to the pan underneath. (Cook until the rice is ALMOST cooked through.)
Add in the lobster and/or shrimp, mixing them through the rice, and cover again to allow the shrimp and rice to cook completely.
Once cooked, sprinkle with the parsley. Place fire-roasted red bell pepper strips over the top of the paella for enhanced flavor to serve. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil over the top before serving.