Ingredients

Four cups of short grain Spanish rice; 8 cups of chicken broth; 8 chicken thighs; 2 rabbits (optional, cut into small pieces, can be replaced with more chicken or omitted); 1/2 cup of tomatoe (peeled and crushed); 1 red bell pepper (sliced); 1 cup of green beans (cut into 2-3cm pieces); 1 cup of lima beans; 1 tsp of saffron threads; 1 tsp of sweet paprika; salt and pepper to taste; 2 tbsp of olive oil; 8 jumbo prawns (shells on); 16 mussels (cleaned); fresh parsley (chopped for garnish); lemon wedges (for serving).

Preparation and Cooking

• In a large paella pan, heat the olive oil and add the chicken (and rabbit, if using), season with salt and pepper and cook until browned. Then add the beans, bell pepper, and tomatoes to the pan and cook at 180-200^oC for about 10 min, until the vegetables are softened.
• Stir in the rice, coating it with the oil and add the saffron, paprika, and chicken broth, and do not stir the paella anymore.
• Continue cooking the paella for about 15-20 min until the rice is almost done.
• Arrange the shrimp and mussels on top of the rice, pushing them down into the rice slightly. Cook for an additional 10 min or until the shrimp is cooked and the mussels have opened. Discard any mussels that do not open.
• Let it rest for a few minutes and garnish with parsley and with lemon wedges.

Hints and Comments

• Paella can be cooked in a wood-fired oven originally from Valencia. Traditionally, it is cooked over an open fire, often using orange and pine branches along with pinecones for an aromatic smoke that infuses the dish.