[Paella Mixta] Delicious Spanish paella with chicken, shrimps, chorizo, & mussels

Well, I know that it's kind of hard, but if you really have to choose one, What is you favorite source of carbohydrate? I like pasta, quinoa, oats, and all sorts of wheat product, but my favorite of all is couscous. I just love couscous. 
One of my favorite couscous recipes is here:
[Algerian Couscous with tomato sauce]

Rice is not my favorite types of carbohydrate, but there are some great rice dishes I adore, one of which is Spanish paella. I had my first paella at Takeout corner(Traiteur) of Carrefour supermarket in Annecy, France, more than 15 years ago. I couldn't tell if it was a great quality paella since it was my first paella experience. 

One of Colleen's favorite rice recipes is here:
[Afghani Chicken Pulao]


But, it must be not too bad as I liked paella immediately. If our holidays plan works as planned, we will go to Spain in 2017. I can't deny that a big part, if not the biggest, of attraction we are drawn to is food, i.e. paella, seafood and endless tapas... :)

The paella recipe I'm writing now is a mixture of Spanish friends' family recipe and my personal experiments I accumulated for more than a decade. When I make paella, there is anything left for the following day's lunch box. The type of paella what I make is not Valencian or seafood paella. My(?) paella should be called paella mixta or mixed paella that use both white meat and seafood. I guarantee~ It's really good :) (sorry for bragging about it, but it is very true :)) It's amazingly delicious.


The most distinctive flavour and colour of paella is coming from this saffron.
Without saffron's exotic flavour, you can't make a real paella.
It looks reddish, but it makes everything it touches yellow.

Paella has two different meanings: 

i. the specialized shallow pan used for cooking paellas. and 

ii. Valencian rice dish which non-Spanish people consider "Spanish" rice dish. In reality, paella is Valencian specialty.

Here goes Colleen's Paella Mixta / Mixed paella recipe:

Ingredients

4 Cups chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon saffron

1 teaspoon paprika

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 chicken drumsticks or 4 thighes

2 Chorizo, sliced (12 ounces in total)

1/2 onion

2 tomatoes

1+1/2 Cups Arborio rice or paella rice

15-25 mussels, depending on the sizes

12-15 shrimps

salt, pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F (or 180C)


2. Have ingredients ready: slice chorizo, chop tomato and onion.

3. Meanwhile infuse the chicken broth with the saffron. 

Simmer over the low heat. Add paprika and continue to simmer for another 7-8 minutes

4. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. 

5. Heat a little olive oil in a paella pan or a large pan and fry the chicken until golden brown on both sides. 

6. Push chicken to the corner of the pan and add the sliced chorizo and fry until browned and crispy.

7. Then add the onion and garlic and cook until soft. 

8. Add tomato and mix well.

9. Add rice and stir well with other ingredients.

10. Add infused chicken broth and leave to cook on a medium heat, stirring from time to time.

Add 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Simmer for 10 minutes. Rice should be almost cooked by now.

11.  Turn off the heat and add mussels and shrimps.

12. Place the paella pan in the preheated oven and cook/bake for 10-15 minutes, or until all the broth will be absorbed completely.

Take out paella pan form the oven and leave it for another 10 minutes before serving.

I forgot the lemon, but paella mixta is even better with a wedge of lemon.

It's much easier than it looks, isn't it? Hope you like it as much as I do. Enjoy!

Paella Mixta