Serves 4–6
Prep 20 min
Cook 40 min
Total 1 hour
Level Intermediate
Paella is a dish of very specific discipline. The rice is added once and never stirred again. The heat is managed to build a crust on the bottom — the socarrat — which is the most prized part of the pan. The saffron is non-negotiable. The pan is wide and shallow so the rice cooks in a thin layer that makes contact with the heat evenly across the entire surface. All of these rules exist for reasons, and breaking them produces a different, lesser dish.
Traditional paella valenciana contains chicken, rabbit, and green beans — no seafood. What most of the world calls paella is actually a seafood rice dish that developed in coastal regions later. Both are excellent; this recipe uses a mixed version with chicken and prawns that is closest to what most people expect and works reliably on a home hob.
Ingredients
400 g Bomba or Calasparra rice
1.2 L good chicken or seafood stock, hot
1 large pinch saffron threads
600 g chicken thighs, bone-in, cut into pieces
300 g large raw prawns in shell
200 g squid rings (optional)
1 large white onion, finely diced
1 red pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
400 g tin chopped tomatoes
2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
5 tbsp good olive oil
1 lemon, to serve
Fresh parsley to finish
Saffron is mandatory. There is no substitute. Saffron gives paella its characteristic golden colour and a floral, slightly metallic flavour that cannot be replicated by turmeric, safflower, or any other substitute. Bloom it in 3 tablespoons of warm water for 10 minutes before adding to the stock — this maximises colour and flavour extraction.
Instructions
Bloom the saffron and heat the stock. Add the saffron threads to 3 tbsp of warm water and leave for 10 minutes. Add to the hot stock. Keep the stock warm throughout — adding cold stock to a hot paella drops the temperature and disrupts the cooking.
Brown the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a wide paella pan or the largest frying pan you have (at least 38cm) over medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces and brown for 5–6 minutes per side until deeply golden. Remove and set aside.
Build the sofrito. In the same pan, fry the onion and pepper for 8 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and paprika, cook 2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until the mixture is thick and dry — this concentrated sofrito is the flavour base of the paella.
Add rice and coat in the sofrito. Add the rice and stir through the sofrito for 2 minutes until every grain is coated. Distribute the rice evenly across the pan.
Add stock, arrange chicken, and do not stir. Pour in all the saffron stock at once. Arrange the browned chicken pieces across the pan, pressing gently into the rice. Bring to a rapid simmer over high heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to medium and cook for 15 minutes without stirring at all.
Add prawns and squid in the last 5 minutes. Lay the prawns and squid across the top of the rice. Do not push them in — they cook in the steam. Cook for a further 5 minutes until the prawns are pink and the liquid has been fully absorbed.
Build the socarrat. When the liquid is absorbed, increase heat to medium-high for 2 minutes. Listen for a gentle crackling from the bottom — this is the socarrat forming. Remove from heat immediately when you smell a faint toasted, nutty aroma. Cover with foil or a clean towel and rest 5 minutes.
Serve from the pan with lemon and parsley. Squeeze lemon over the top, scatter parsley, and bring the pan to the table. Scrape up the socarrat from the bottom — this dark, crispy rice is the most prized part and should be shared.
🍚Only Bomba or Calasparra rice. These Spanish short-grain varieties absorb up to three times their volume in stock without turning mushy — the high starch content creates a creamy exterior while the grain stays firm. Risotto rice is the best substitute. Long-grain rice does not work; it stays separate and dry.
🔊Listen to the pan. Experienced paella makers judge readiness by sound — a gentle sizzle throughout cooking, changing to a crackling when the liquid is absorbed and the socarrat begins to form. Learning this sound is more reliable than timing.
One pan, one rule
The entire discipline of paella comes down to one instruction: add the rice, pour in the stock, and do not touch it again. Every instinct you have built from stirring risotto or fried rice works against you here. Trust the process, watch the heat, listen for the socarrat, and you end up with something that genuinely cannot be made any other way.
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