Aunt Julia's Paella
Submitted by rorndorff
A loaded Spanish paella with chicken, pork, shrimp, and calamari over saffron rice. This one-pan fiesta feeds 6 and comes together in under an hour.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
35 minREADY
50 minThis is the kind of paella that turns a regular weeknight into a full-blown fiesta.
Chicken and pork brown first, building a flavor base in the pan drippings. Then shrimp, calamari, olives, and capers join the party before saffron-infused broth transforms everything into something golden and fragrant.
Hard-boiled egg slices and whole unpeeled shrimp arranged on top give it that showstopping presentation straight from a Spanish seaside kitchen.
Set the pan right on the table, pour the sangria, and let everybody dig in.
Variations
- Skip the pork for a surf-and-turf version with double the shrimp
- Add mussels or clams in the last 10 minutes for a full seafood paella
- Use chicken thighs only for a more budget-friendly version
Chef Tips
- Don’t stir the rice once the broth is added; you want that slightly crispy bottom layer called socarrat
- The paella should be moist but never soupy; add broth gradually as needed
- Let the pan rest for 5 minutes off heat before serving so the rice finishes absorbing
Ingredients
Directions
In a large electric skillet or paella pan, brown the chicken pieces (that have been seasoned with salt and pepper) in a little oil.
Remove from the pan.
Add the pork cubes to the drippings and brown for about 5 minutes.
Remove from the pan. To the pan drippings (add a little more oil if necessary) add the onion, garlic, bell pepper, celery and carrot.
Stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the peas, peeled shrimp, pimentos, capers, chicken, calamari and pork. Stir.
In a separate pot, bring the 5 cups of water to a boil; stir in the bouillon cubes and saffron.
Let it stand for 5 minutes until dissolved.
Gently stir the rice into the skillet mixture.
Slowly pour in enough of the bouillon mixture to cover the rice and chicken pieces.
Cover and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes.
Uncover and decoaratively arrange the egg slices and raw unpeeled shrimp on the top.
(Add more broth as necessary to keep the rice moist.
Cover and steam for another 10 minutes until the shrimp are cooked and the rice is tender.
(Paella should be moist but not wet!) Place the pan on a hot pad on the serving table and let everyone help themselves.
Serve with a mixed green salad, red ripe tomatoes and some French bread.
Also mix up a pitcher of Sangria and enjoy!
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