Mixed paella

How to make a mixed paella .

Paella Sunday at home, in this case a mixture, the Valencian paella (with chicken and rabbit) with the seafood paella, a tasty mixed paella .

The rice recipe that I present today will serve as an example to show you how products obtained from the land and the sea can be combined, put together to obtain a simple, tasty and contrasting rice, which harmonize in a single flavor.

The mixed paella or rice in chicken and seafood paella , is a variant of the authentic Valencian paella . It is still a ” rice with things ” admitting multiple variants and perhaps it is the paella that foreign tourists who come to Spain know. We must clarify that although it is known as paella, it has seafood, meat and vegetables.

A rice with different types of meat and seafood such as Norway lobsters, prawns, mussels, cuttlefish and in some cases squid. It is a recipe for sea and mountain rice because it brings together the best of each area.

Since mixed paella is not the original paella recipe, each person can make it different by adding more or less ingredients. In order not to complicate our lives and make it perfect, even for kitchens that do it for the first time, we are going to use Sabroz rice . You will see that it comes out the first time with no margin for error.

It happens with most recipes, with a base, in each house it is usually prepared in one way. On the blog you will find other recipes with rice, from a baked rice , a healthy vegetable rice in paella , my favorite recipe for arroz a banda , the seafood fideuá , the rice with chicken and rabbit  to a broth rice .

A complete and balanced dish that is perfect for our diet, the Mediterranean, which they say is one of the best in the world. Do you cheer for it? What are your variants? How do you prepare it? Leave your comment and we will incorporate it into the recipe.

Before starting with the mixed paella

1. It is essential to have the paella ready and if possible with several uses (it helps that the rice does not stick). Size is important, allowing rice to cook evenly across its surface.
2. This is the first major problem that arises when trying to make the dish at home. To make it look good, the amount of rice should not be much more than a finger thick, so to make, for example, a paella for six people, we will need a container of around half a meter in diameter.
3. In the absence of firewood and fire with orange wood, we will need a good gas burner or temperature diffuser so that it reaches the total surface of the paella.
4. If you need to increase the amount of ingredients, you will also have to increase the size of the paella or casserole. The appropriate measures are:
   • 2-3 people- Paella of 30 cm.
   • 4-5 people- Paella 40 cm.
   • 6-8 people- Paella of 50 cm.
   • For 10 people- 55 cm paella.
   • For 12 people- 60 cm Paella.

Preparation of seafood for mixed paella

1. We clean the mussels well under the tap. With a knife we ​​scratch the impurities and we pull out the beards that protrude through the union area of ​​the shells.
2. We discard those that are broken or open. Fresh mussels should be open a millimeter or two and close when trying to open them.
3. We put a glass of water and the mussels in a large pot. We bring them to a boil with strong heat and covered. Since it boils we can leave them for two minutes over high heat (without removing the lid) or we can remove the ones that are opening.
4. Drain the mussels and reserve. The glass of cooking water that we will strain to remove impurities. We reserve to mix with the broth that we are going to add to the paella.
5. We wash the cuttlefish well (squid or squid would also be worth it) and, with the help of a sharp knife, remove the thin membrane that covers it. We cut it into strips 1 centimeter thick and then cut each strip into cubes.

Preparation of the meat and vegetables for the mixed paella. Sofrito

1. The first thing is to cut all the ingredients into pieces. Chicken and rabbit as for a stew (you can ask the butcher to prepare it). The meat should be cut into equal pieces so that it does well.
2. We wash, clean, dry and cut the vegetables. Peel the garlic cloves and then cut the peppers into long strips, the onion into small pieces and the garlic into thin slices.
3. We start with the sofrito and cook the base of the rice. We heat a good chorretón of extra virgin olive oil in a paella pan over very high heat.

Preparation of the base of the mixed paella

1. We start with the meat, add it to the very hot oil and fry it. Before the chicken and rabbit are well cooked, add the cuttlefish.
2. We fry everything until the meat has a golden color. When the pieces of meat are well browned, season them well. You have to control the fire well so that the meat is not overcooked and that the cuttlefish is soft. We clean the prawns and prawns from whiskers. We fry in the same oil.
3. We can remove the ingredients from the paella. We reserve on a plate or platter until the rest is ready to go.
4. In the same paella or casserole, fry the onion, peppers and minced garlic, taking care not to brown everything too much so that the whole does not become bitter. You have to control the fire well so as not to burn any ingredient of the mixed paella.
5. Next we grate the tomatoes with a grater, cutting them in half and discarding their skin. When everything is pochadito we add the grated tomato and the paprika. We fry again another five minutes, before incorporating the chicken, the rabbit and the cuttlefish.
6. We check the oil level and, if we see it necessary, add a little more. We remove so that all the ingredients and that the flavors are integrated.

Preparation of the broth for the paella

1. We heat the fish stock in a saucepan (or in the microwave) . It can be done with water but the flavor of the paella loses, we can also add half of the chicken stock so that our rice has more flavor.
2. Next we add all the ingredients that we have reserved except the mussels, the scampi and the prawns. We remove everything so that the flavors come together.
3. Add the broth and the saffron threads. It is better to be short than overdoing because we can always add a little more water if we see that the rice is too dry and has not been done yet. The proportions depend a lot on the fire, the heat, the humidity and the diameter of the paella.
4. We need three times the volume of liquid than rice. Although it is the experience that will make you adjust and perfect these quantities.
5. We cook the broth with the ingredients for 15 minutes. It is a good time to add the saffron, we must try the broth to know if it is tasty enough and we can correct it with salt.
6. We do not want it to be bland, so it is essential that the broth is tested by at least 2 people so that there is consensus on this issue.

Preparation of mixed paella rice

1. We add the rice diagonally and cross-shaped as you see in the photos. We distribute the rice evenly throughout the paella.
2. We cook for 18-20 minutes, although here the time is marked by the grain of rice and the power of the fire, which we must allow to be consumed. It has to be completely dry and loose.
3. We try a few grains of rice and the point of salt again to verify the cooking point and flavor.
4. You can have a saucepan with boiling water next to it, in case you have to add water. When there are 5 minutes of cooking we will add the seafood that we have reserved, except for the mussels that are already cooked.
5. Let it rest for a few minutes covered with a large cotton cloth. Once the rice is ready, remove the paella or casserole from the heat. With about 5-8 minutes off the heat it will be enough to achieve a yummy result. This time is essential so that the grain of rice takes its ideal point and is well loose.
6. Before serving, place the open mussels on top of the rice. We can accompany it with a few pieces of lemon or serve as is. Either way, it will be yummy.

You can see all the photos of the step by step of this recipe for mixed paella  in this album. Do not miss any detail and it will be delicious

Tips for a mixed yummy paella

• This mixed paella is based on the recipe for rice in chicken and scampi paella from the book ” Paella ” by Alberto Herráiz (RBA) and ” Escuela de Arroz ” by Xesco Bueno (Larousse). Good books to make rice at home almost like a professional.
• The fees mark using 100 g of rice per diner. Although you already know that the rules are made to be broken so we have reduced the amount a bit. Still, we’ve had plenty of rice to satisfy six hungry mouths as a single dish.
• In order for our rice to come out at its point, loose and without weighing it down, the ingredients, with the stock already incorporated, must not exceed the rivets on the handles (in case of using paella). Ideally, the rice should be well spread on the surface of the container.
• It is essential to let the rice rest for the last 5 minutes. Don’t skip this step because the difference is noticeable.
• The cooking time of the rice depends on the place where we prepare it. The atmospheric pressure influences this point so that, although we indicate a cooking time in the recipe. It is important to adjust it to each person’s circumstances.
• You can add regular round rice or bomba rice. The latter absorbs more broth and is said to have a better flavor. You have to add the rice so that it is distributed evenly throughout the paella and is completely covered with water.
• Paella must always have a yellowish or golden color. For this you can use saffron or coloring (depending on the budget). In order for the paella to take on a uniform color, you must distribute the coloring well, the best thing is to infuse it with the broth, so you will have no problem.
• During the cooking phase, the rice can no longer be removed. This is a very important rule when cooking any paella.