Chicken Paella
8 servings
120 minutes
Chicken paella is a refined dish that combines the richness of seafood and the tenderness of chicken meat. Although paella is considered a traditional Spanish dish, this variation with chicken and seafood reflects Mediterranean cuisine's love for fresh ingredients and aromatic spices. The flavor of paella is rich and multifaceted: tender chicken meat harmoniously blends with the sea taste of shrimp and mussels, while saffron gives the rice a sunny hue and subtle bitterness. The light sweetness of green peas and bell peppers complements the overall composition, creating a perfectly balanced taste. The dish is served with lemon, which refreshes and highlights the brightness of all ingredients. Chicken paella is not just food; it’s a true culinary symphony that brings everyone together at one table and provides a sense of celebration.
1
Cut the chicken breast into small pieces. Heat half of the oil in a pan, fry the chicken for 10 minutes until golden brown. Then remove it with a slotted spoon and set aside. Keep the oil in the pan.
- Chicken breast: 1 piece
- Olive oil: 175 ml
2
Clean the shrimp and separate the tails. Place the heads and shells in a pot, add water, and boil for 10 minutes. Remove the pot from heat and pour the broth into a bowl.
- Shrimps: 300 g
3
If you are using mussels, open the shells with a knife blade and remove the 'beards', then rinse them under cold water. Separate any mollusks with damaged shells or those that do not close immediately when touched.
4
Place the shells in a deep pan, add 50 ml of water, cover, and cook on high heat for 3-6 minutes until they open. Remove the shells with a slotted spoon, discarding those that did not open. Extract the mussels from the shells, leaving a few in their shells for decoration.
- Mussels: 1 kg
- Olive oil: 175 ml
5
Pour the liquid in which the mussels were cooked through a cheesecloth into the shrimp broth. Measure and add water to make 1.75 liters if needed. Pour into a pot and heat – but do not let it boil.
6
Pour the remaining oil along with the one used for frying the chicken into a heavy-bottomed pan or a paella pan and heat it up. Add finely chopped onion and garlic and cook on low heat, stirring, for 7 minutes. In the meantime, peel and finely chop the tomato and add it to the pan: cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly.
- Olive oil: 175 ml
- Onion: 1 piece
- Garlic: 1 clove
- Tomatoes: 1 piece
7
Set aside a few shrimp for garnish, and put the rest in the pan with squid cut into 5 mm rings, chicken, and rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until the squid turns opaque. Add mussels. Season with salt and pour in hot broth. Gently shake the pot to ensure the liquid has penetrated down.
- Shrimps: 300 g
- Squid: 2 pieces
- Chicken breast: 1 piece
- Long grain rice: 500 g
- Mussels: 1 kg
- Salt: to taste
8
Crush the parsley with saffron in a mortar, add 2 tablespoons of water, and pour the mixture into the pan with the paella. Crumble the broth cubes in as well. Shake the pot again or gently stir with a wooden spoon. Add the peas and cook for a few more minutes.
- Parsley: 3 stems
- Saffron: 0.3 teaspoon
- Bouillon cube: 2 pieces
- Canned green peas: 100 g
9
Place sliced bell pepper, remaining shrimp, and shellfish on top of the rice. Put the pan in the oven and bake for 25 minutes at 180 degrees.
- Red chilli pepper: 1 piece
- Shrimps: 300 g
- Mussels: 1 kg
10
Remove the pan from the oven, place it on a paper towel, and let it sit for 5 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges placed on the edge of the pan.
- Lemon: 0.5 piece