Posting these beauties has been a long time coming! Shout out to our old neighbors Neal and Thais who introduced us to the wonderful world of paella making. Our lovely (and sorely missed) neighbors are some of the most welcoming, kind, and generous people, who moved in next door and immediately made an effort to become friends. They always left the front door open, were always down for a glass of wine on the porch, and held monthly paella-making parties in the yard. Neal taught me that not only does paella feed a crowd, but it’s as easy as BBQ-ing in the back if you have an outdoor burner, and is truly a crowd-pleaser as you get to see the chef at work during the party. 

Admittedly, it can be intimidating ‘eye-ing’ the broth to rice cooking process but once you get the hang of it, this recipe is so simple. With very few ingredients, it can become second nature. 

Neal taught me how to make this in the backyard (mussels and shrimp included!), who told me that the recipe was passed down orally from his childhood nanny. So this truly is a recipe you can feel your way around.

I have since made this recipe for my mother-in-law’s birthday celebration for a crowd of 12 (just double everything if you have two paella pans!) and as a freezer drop off meal for some of my best friends whose first miracle baby came wildly early in the height of covid. Nothing like dropping off an easy dish to reheat in the oven!

So anyway, this recipe is truly a secret weapon. You can make it at home as meal prep for the week or WOW a live crowd at a party, or make ahead and send to your friends and family in need of comfort food. 

And if you don’t have a paella pan… this is your sign to get one. I never thought I would be a paella lady who needed a special pan for one dish, but once you start, you will NOT be able to stop! Enjoy friends! *And hopefully Neal doesn’t kill me for putting pen to paper on this dish, love you!

INGREDIENTS

1 yellow onion

2-3 shallots

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 lb. chorizo sausage

1 lb. chicken (breast or thighs based on preference)

32-48 oz broth (I was taught to use a combination of chicken, vegetable, and seafood but you can simplify with one)

1 cup rose wine

1 8 oz can diced tomatoes

1 pinch of saffron

4 cups Bomba paella rice (can sub Arborio rice)

+6-8 additional bell peppers of any color (for stuffing)

Toppings: parsley, lemon wedges, and simple aioli (see below for quick recipe)

Serving Size: 6-8 (depending on hunger level)

INSTRUCTIONS

Prep

• Finely chop (by hand or in a food processor) – yellow onion, shallot, 1 red and 1 green bell pepper. 
• Chop sausage and chicken into small chunks.
• *If using multiple stock flavors, combine with saffron. 
• Cut bell peppers tops off and decore/deseed bell peppers for stuffing later on. 

Cook

• Coat paella pan with a thin layer of olive oil and heat pan. 
• Sear chicken until golden on all sides then remove from the pan.
• Then add sausage to the pan and sear until starting to crisp. 
• Add diced onions and peppers to the sausage. Cook until onions are translucent. 
• Stir in can of diced tomatoes. 
• Next, slowly pour dry rice over everything. Spread and smooth until it’s an approx. 1in thick layer over the entire pan. 
• Pour cup of rose over the rice and let it cook for about 3-4 minutes. 
• Pour 1-2 cups of broth over the rice so it’s a full layer. Let cook for 3-minutes. *Do not stir!
• Add chicken back on top of rice. 
• Continue pouring and adding broth over the rice in small batches until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is full cooked. *You may need to stir the pan once or twice to not fully burn the bottom, but don’t overdo it, you want a crispy dark bottom edge!
• Once the rice is cooked, remove from heat. While it cools a bit, preheat the oven to 400F. 
• Spoon paella into bell peppers. 
• Place top back on and back for 25 mins.
• Enjoy! Be sure to top with fresh squeezed lemon, parsley, my simple aioli (below), and any other delicious toppings your heart desires. I like to add pickled red onion and microgreens as well!

SIMPLE AIOLI

Ingredients

1 cup greek yogurt

1 cup mayonnaise

1 egg yolk

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

¼ cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic

Salt & pepper

Instructions

• Add all ingredients into a blender and combine on high speed. 
• Add salt, pepper, additional lemon or even a touch of saffron to taste.
• Enjoy!