Make this classic paella recipe with meat and seafood quick and easy. Not only is it an impressive dish with lots of Spanish flair, it is also very tasty!
Easy Paella Recipe
Ingredients:
2 Limes
1 Lemon
1 Garlic clove, crushed
6 Medium chicken thighs
1 Medium onion, finely chopped
1 Red pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 Green pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
4 tablespoon Olive oil
1 tablespoon Freshly chopped basil
450 g/1 lb Arborio rice
125 g/4 oz Frozen peas
450 g/1 lb Live mussels
175 g/6 oz Large peeled prawns
225 g/8 oz Tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and chopped
900 ml/1 1/2 pints Chicken stock, warmed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Whole cooked unpeeled prawns, to garnish
Procedure:
Rinse the mussels under cold running water, scrubbing well to remove any grit and barnacles, then pull off the hairy ‘beards’. Tap any open mussels sharply with a knife, and discard if they refuse to close. Heat the oil in a paella pan or large, heavy-based frying pan and cook the chicken thighs for 10-15 minutes until golden. Remove and keep warm.
Fry the onion and garlic in the remaining oil in the pan for 2-3 minutes, then add the tomatoes, peppers, peas and paprika and cook for a further 3 minutes. Add the rice to the pan and return the chicken with the turmeric and half the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer, gradually adding more stock as it is absorbed. Cook for 20 minutes, or until most of the stock has been absorbed and the rice is almost tender.
Put the mussels in a large saucepan with 5 cm/2 inches boiling salted water, cover and steam for 5 minutes. Discard any with shells that have not opened, then stir into the rice with the prawns. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat through for 2-3 minutes until piping hot. Squeeze the juice from 1 of the limes over the paella. Cut the remaining limes and the lemon into wedges and arrange on top of the paella. Sprinkle with the basil, garnish with the prawns and serve.
Paella is indeed a nourishing, vibrant, and without pretension. To round out this meal, choose a good Spanish red wine, a crusty baguette, and a light salad.
