Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, extra virgin (30 ml)
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup / 150g)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons / 6g)
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped (about 1 cup / 150g)
- 2 ripe tomatoes, grated (or one 14-oz can of crushed tomatoes) (about 400g)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (5g)
- Pinch of saffron threads (about 0.5g)
- 3-4 lbs chicken pieces (skin on, bone in thighs and drumsticks) or 3-4 lbs mixed seafood (mussels, clams, shrimp, calamari), or 1.5 lbs rabbit cut into pieces (about 1.5 kg)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (3g)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (1g)
- 1 cup Bomba rice (or Calasparra rice) (200g)
- 6 cups chicken broth (or seafood broth, if using seafood) (1.4L)
- 1/2 cup frozen peas (75g)
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving
- Optional: sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme
Instructions:
- Sauté onion, garlic, and bell pepper in olive oil until softened. Add grated tomatoes, smoked paprika, and saffron. Simmer until the sauce thickens.
- If using chicken or rabbit, season with salt and pepper and brown in the paella pan. Remove and set aside. Add any calamari here to sear, and then set aside. For seafood paella, omit this step.
- Stir the Bomba rice into the sofrito, ensuring each grain is coated in the sauce. Toast the rice briefly.
- Pour in the hot broth, stirring gently to distribute the rice evenly. Add the seared chicken/rabbit back in, nestling it into the rice.
- Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook undisturbed until the rice has absorbed most of the broth. For seafood, arrange the mussels, clams, shrimp on top of the rice now. This will take approximately 20-25 minutes.
- Increase the heat to medium-high for a few minutes to create the socarrat. Listen carefully for a sizzling sound; this indicates the rice is browning. Be careful not to burn it!
- Remove from heat, cover with foil or a clean tea towel, and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Garnish with frozen peas and lemon wedges before serving.