Paella Recipe

Prep saffron and ingredients

Place saffron threads in 2 tablespoons hot water to bloom while you prep. Pat chicken and seafood dry, slice sausage, grate tomato (or measure crushed tomatoes), dice onion, mince garlic and slice red pepper.

Brown sausage and chicken

Heat a wide paella pan or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When hot, add sliced jalapeño sausage and cook 3–4 minutes until browned and some fat renders. Remove sausage to a plate, leaving rendered oil in the pan. Add the chicken pieces and a pinch of salt; brown on all sides ~4–6 minutes. Transfer chicken to the plate with sausage.

Sauté vegetables

Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add diced onion and red pepper; sauté 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in grated tomato (or crushed tomatoes) and cook 2–3 minutes until mixture concentrates slightly.

Toast rice and deglaze

Push the sofrito (tomato-onion mixture) to the sides of the pan, add the rice to the center and toast 1–2 minutes, stirring, until the outer edges of the grains look translucent. Stir in smoked and sweet paprika, and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Pour in white wine to deglaze, scraping up browned bits, and simmer until mostly absorbed, about 1–2 minutes.

Add stock and saffron

Add warm stock and the saffron with its soaking liquid. Stir once to distribute rice evenly (avoid stirring after this point to allow socarrat). Nestle browned chicken and sausage back into the rice, distributing evenly. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

Simmer without stirring

Reduce heat to medium-low so the mixture maintains a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered 18–20 minutes without stirring. If the surface looks very dry before time is up, gently drizzle up to 1/4 cup additional warm stock around edges. In the last 5 minutes scatter frozen peas, place shrimp and optional calamari on top, pressing them slightly into the rice so they steam-cook. Do not stir.

Finish and rest

When liquid is absorbed and rice is tender (test a grain at 18 minutes), remove the pan from heat, cover loosely with foil or a clean kitchen towel, and let rest 5–8 minutes. This helps finish cooking seafood and allows flavors to meld.

Garnish and serve

Scatter chopped parsley over the paella, arrange lemon wedges around the pan, and serve family-style with chipotle sauce on the side. Spoon paella from the pan, exposing any toasted crust (socarrat) at the bottom for those who like it.

Combine mayonnaise, minced chipotle in adobo, lime juice, minced garlic, smoked paprika, honey, and salt in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth and adjust heat/salt to taste. If sauce is too thick, thin with 1–2 teaspoons water or lime juice. Chill in refrigerator at least 15 minutes for flavors to meld; serve alongside paella.