Ingredients

The following ingredients have 6 Servings
  • 1 pound extra-large shrimp ((21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Olive oil
  • 8 or 9 medium garlic cloves (minced or pressed through a garlic press (2 generous tablespoons))
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs (each thigh trimmed of excess fat and halved crosswise)
  • 1 red bell pepper (stemmed, seeded, and cut pole to pole into 1/2-inch-wide strips)
  • 8 ounces Spanish chorizo (sliced 1/2 inch thick on the bias)
  • 1 medium onion (chopped fine (about 1 cup))
  • One (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes (drained, minced, and drained again)
  • 2 cups Valencia or Arborio* rice
  • 3 cups homemade chicken stock or low-sodium canned chicken broth
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • 1 dozen mussels (scrubbed and debearded)
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas (thawed)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 lemon (cut into wedges, for serving)

Instruction

  • Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position; heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Toss the shrimp, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1 teaspoon of the garlic in a medium bowl; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper; set aside.
  • Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the pepper strips and cook, stirring occasionally, until the skin begins to blister and turn spotty black, 3 to 4 minutes. Move the pepper to a small plate and set it aside.
  • Add 1 teaspoon oil to the now-empty Dutch oven; heat the oil until shimmering but not smoking. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer; cook, without moving the pieces, until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn the pieces and brown on the second side, about 3 minutes longer; dump the chicken into a medium bowl. Reduce the heat to medium and add the chorizo to the pot; cook, stirring frequently, until deeply browned and the fat begins to render, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the chorizo to the bowl with the chicken and set aside.
  • Add enough oil to the fat in the Dutch oven to equal 2 tablespoons; heat over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 minutes; stir in the remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes; cook until the mixture begins to darken and thicken slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook until the grains are well coated with the tomato mixture, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, wine, saffron, bay leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Return the chicken and chorizo to the pot, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Cover the pot and place it in the oven; cook until the rice absorbs almost all of the liquid, about 15 minutes.
  • Remove the paella from the oven (close the oven door to retain heat). Uncover the paella; scatter the shrimp over the rice, insert the mussels hinged-side down into the rice (so they stand upright), arrange the bell pepper strips in a pinwheel pattern, and scatter the peas over the top. Cover and return to the oven; cook until the shrimp are opaque and the mussels have opened, 10 to 12 minutes.
  • Optional: If soccarat (see headnote) is desired, set the Dutch oven, uncovered, over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, rotating the pot 180 degrees after about 2 minutes for even browning.
  • Let the paella stand, covered, about 5 minutes. Discard any mussels that have not opened and the bay leaf, if it can be easily removed. Sprinkle the paella with the parsley and serve, passing the lemon wedges separately.