- 6
Ingredients
- 1 lb. extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined
- table salt
- black pepper
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 8 - 9 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and halved crosswise
- 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut pole to pole into 1/2-inch wide strips
- 8 ounces Spanish chorizo, sliced 1/2-inch thick on the bias
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained, minced and drained again
- 2 cups Valencia or Arborio rice
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 tsp saffron threads, crumbled
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 dozen mussels, scrubbed and debearded
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Preparation
Step 1
1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Toss the shrimp, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, 1 Tbsp. oil and 1 tsp. of the garlic in a medium bowl; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper; set aside.
2. Heat 2 tsp. oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the pepper strips and cook, stirring occasionally, until the skin begins to blister and turn spotty black, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the pepper to a small plate and set aside.
3. Add 1 tsp. oil to the now-empty Dutch oven; heat the oil until shimmering but not smoking. Add the chicken pieces in a single-layer; cook, without moving the pieces, until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn the pieces and brown on the second side, about 3 minutes longer; transfer the chicken to a medium bowl. Reduce the heat to medium and add the chorizo to the pot; cook, stirring frequently, until deeply browned and the fat begins to render, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the chorizo to the bowl with the chicken and set aside.
4. Add enough oil to the fat in the Dutch oven to equal 2 Tbsp.; heat over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently until softened, about 3 minutes; stir in the remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes; cook until the mixture begins to darken and thicken slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook until the grains are well-coated with the tomato mixture, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, wine, saffron, bay leaf and 1/2 tsp. salt.
Return the chicken and chorizo to the pot, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven; cook until the rice absorbs most of the liquid. about 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the oven (close the oven door to retain heat). Uncover the pot, scatter the shrimp over the rice, insert the mussels, hinged side down, into the rice (so they stand upright), arrange the pepper strips in a pinwheel pattern, and scatter the peas over the top. Cover and return to the oven; cook until the shrimp are opaque and the mussels have opened, 10 to 12 minutes.
5. OPTIONAL: If soccarat is desired, set the Dutch oven, uncovered, over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, rotating the pot 180 degrees after about 2 minutes for even browning.
6. Let the paella stand, covered, about 5 minutes. Discard any mussels that have not opened and the bay leaf, if it can be easily removed. Sprinkle with parsley and serve, passing the lemon wedges seperately.