Spanish Mixed Seafood and Chicken Paella

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Paella Mixta is the festive, mixed-pan cousin of Spain's most famous rice dish, layering golden saffron rice with land-and-sea proteins. Unlike the strict Valencian version, this coastal-cookhouse style welcomes both chicken and a generous tumble of shrimp, mussels, and calamari into one wide, sizzling pan. The crowning glory is the socarrat, that crisp, toasty crust at the bottom that everyone silently fights over.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 610 kcalCalories
• 24 gFat
• 6 gSaturated Fat
• 58 gCarbs
• 4 gFiber
• 5 gSugar
• 38 gProtein
• 920 mgSodium
• 780 mgPotassium
• 105 mgCalcium
• 5.5 mgIron
• 28 mgVitamin C
• 140 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the proteins

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 lb), trimmed and patted dry
• 1 lb large shell-on shrimp, deveined
• 1 lb fresh mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• 1/2 lb cleaned calamari rings and tentacles
• 6 oz Spanish chorizo, sliced on the diagonal
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the sofrito and vegetables

• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
• 1 ripe tomato, grated on the large holes (discard skin)
• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 1/2 tsp sweet smoked paprika (pimentón dulce)
• 1/2 lb fresh green beans (bajoques), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

For the rice and stock

• 2 cups Bomba or Calasparra short-grain rice
• 4 cups warm low-sodium chicken or seafood stock
• 1/2 cup dry Spanish white wine, such as Albariño
• Generous pinch of saffron threads, bloomed in 2 tbsp hot water
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp kosher salt

For serving

• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
• Good Spanish olive oil, for drizzling

Directions

1. Heat a 14-inch paella pan or wide, shallow skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and, when shimmering, season the chicken thighs with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper and place them skin-side down. Sear without moving for 6 to 7 minutes until deeply golden, flip, and cook another 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
2. In the same pan with the rendered fat, add the chorizo slices and cook 2 minutes until they release their paprika-stained oil. Push to the outer ring of the pan, then add the shrimp and sear 90 seconds per side until just pink. Transfer to the chicken plate. Add the calamari and cook 90 seconds, then transfer as well.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add the onion, bell pepper, and green beans to the center of the pan and sauté for 5 minutes until softened and lightly caramelized. Stir in the garlic, grated tomato, and smoked paprika and cook 3 minutes more, mashing with a wooden spoon until the tomato turns jammy and brick-red.
4. Pour in the white wine and scrape up every browned bit from the pan with the spoon. Let it bubble down by half, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the rice evenly across the pan and stir with the wooden spoon for exactly 1 minute so every grain is coated in the sofrito.
5. Pour in the warm stock, the bloomed saffron with its water, the lemon juice, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Gently shake the pan by its handles to level the rice; do not stir from this point on. Nestle the seared chicken thighs back in, bring to a lively simmer, and cook uncovered for 12 minutes.
6. Tuck the partially cooked shrimp and calamari back into the rice, then arrange the mussels hinge-side up on top, wedging them in so they stand open as they cook. Continue to simmer 8 to 10 more minutes, rotating the pan occasionally for even heat, until the rice is tender, the liquid has been absorbed, and the shrimp are opaque.
7. Increase the heat to medium-high for the final 60 to 90 seconds to set the socarrat: listen for faint crackling and smell the toasty aroma. Remove from heat, drape a clean kitchen towel over the pan, and rest 5 minutes (this lets the bottom crust finish crisping without overcooking the top).
8. Scatter parsley and chives over the rice, drizzle with olive oil, and set lemon wedges along the rim. Bring the whole pan to the table and serve straight from it, scraping up plenty of socarrat for each portion.

Cook’s Notes

• Use the widest pan you own: a true paella needs maximum surface area so the rice cooks in a thin, even layer, which is what creates socarrat.
• Resist the urge to stir after the stock goes in; agitation releases starch and yields a creamy risotto-style texture, not the separate grains paella should have.
• If your mussels don't open after 10 minutes of cooking, discard them; closed mussels mean they were not fresh.
• Warm your stock before adding it; cold liquid shocks the rice and slows cooking unevenly.
• For a deeper socarrat, finish the cook with a few spritzes of cold water over the hot pan edge so the last evaporation hisses and crisps the bottom.

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