This Paella recipe is packed with saffron infused rice, flavored with onion, peppers, tomatoes, and peas. For our recipe, we love to use a combination of chicken thigh meat, calamari, mussels, and shrimp.
Prepare all your ingredients before starting to cook. Dice chicken, calamari, and vegetables. Smash and mince garlic.
In a small sauce pot, combine chicken stock, tomato paste, bay leaf, saffron, paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix everything to combine, bring it to simmer, and turn down the heat to low.
Preheat a large and wide cooking pan (or a pan meant for Paella) over medium- high heat and add a little bit of olive oil.
Add diced chicken and calamari and sear it for a couple of minutes. Take the meat out of the pan and set aside.
Add remaining olive oil to the pan and add diced onion, tomato, and bell peppers. Sauté for a few minutes, until completely softened and starts to get golden brown. Add minced garlic and sauté just until fragrant.
Add back seared chicken and calamari, peas, rice, and chicken stock mixture to the pan. Give it a quick stir to mix and spread ingredients evenly, but not too much.
Lower the heat to low and cook Paella uncovered and undisturbed for about 15-18 minutes.
Nestle shrimp and mussels into the rice and let it cook for about 5 more minutes. (Cover the pan with a lid while seafood is cooking to help it cook through and help mussels open.) Take the lid off as soon as shrimp are done.
Raise the heat to high for about a minute and then take the pan off the heat.
Top it off with minced cilantro, let it rest for a few minutes, and serve!