Saffron Chicken and Seafood Rice — Paella Valenciana
Around 28% fewer calories and significantly lower fat, skinless chicken thighs replacing skin-on and oil reduced throughout with extra vegetables added, with the authentic saffron, smoked paprika, socarrat rice crust, and seafood depth of the classic Spanish dish.
Spanish
Categories
Nutrition per Serving
Ingredients
For 2 servings
Instructions
Prep
Cut 3 skinless chicken thighs into large chunks and season with salt and pepper. Finely dice 0.5 large onion and 0.5 each red and green pepper. Mince 2 garlic cloves. Trim and halve 100g green beans. Peel 150g king prawns and clean 100g mussels. Steep a pinch of saffron in 1.5 tbsp warm water.
Sear
Heat 0.5 tbsp olive oil in a medium paella pan (10–12 inches) over medium-high heat. Brown seasoned chicken 2–3 minutes per side, then push to edges. Cook uncovered until golden.
Saute
Add onion and peppers to the centre, cook 4 minutes over medium-high heat until softened. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
Build 1
Add smoked and sweet paprika, stir 1 minute to bloom. Pour in canned tomatoes and cook 4–5 minutes over medium heat until reduced and concentrated.
Build 2
Add paella rice and stir 2 minutes to coat in sofrito. Pour hot chicken stock and saffron water, stir once to distribute, then do not stir again. Tuck in green beans, bring to vigorous simmer, and cook uncovered over medium heat 8–9 minutes.
Simmer
Reduce heat to low and cook 7 minutes until rice has almost absorbed all stock. Arrange prawns and mussels over surface, press gently into rice, cover with foil, and cook 4–5 minutes over low heat until prawns are pink and mussels open.
Crisp and plate
Increase heat to medium-high for final 1–2 minutes to develop the golden socarrat crust on the bottom. Rest 5 minutes uncovered. Scatter with fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Recipes use AI and Edamam. Always check for allergens before cooking. Spotted something wrong—email us at hello@grubplanit.com.