Recipe: Our favourite paella

Recipe: Our favourite paella

1h prep | 40m cook

Last updated

An ‘authentic’ paella is a difficult thing to define, with each village in Valencia boasting their own variation. Chorizo, for example, might not appear in a Barcelona paella, but is a beloved addition among many Spanish ex-pats living in Australia.

Our favourite version? Perfectly cooked calasparra or bomba rice (which absorb volumes of stock, and flavour, without losing shape or clumping together) with a good crust (‘socarrat’) on the base, dotted with whatever meat and seafood looks best at the market.

Adding rabbit and snails reflects Spanish paella traditions- as does using Spanish olive oil and sherry vinegar– but it’s just as delicious with chicken or simply packed with more seafood.

Want to do something a little different for your next barbecue? Our gas paella pan burners connect to your BBQ gas bottle and apply an even heat across the bottom of any 30cm (or larger) paella pan in our wide range, perfect as the centrepiece to your next outdoor cookoff.


Ingredients (Serves 8-10) 

  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (Spanish if possible)
  • 2 chorizo sausages, sliced into 5mm discs (optional)
  • 400g chicken thighs (or rabbit), diced
  • 1 tbsp La Dalia Bittersweet Smoked Paprika
  • A pinch saffron threads
  • 1 red onion, finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
  • 1/2 cup sherry vinegar
  • 2 cups Calasparra bomba paella rice
  • 125g jar roast capsicum
  • 400g tinned or jarred crushed tomatoes
  • 4 cups chicken, fish or vegetable stock
  • 400g raw, fresh seafood (eg. shelled & de-veined prawns, calamari rings, cleaned baby octopus, de-bearded mussels)
  • 100g snails in brine (optional)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
  • Lemon wedges & finely chopped parsley to serve

Heat oil in a 32cm paella pan over a medium-high heat.

Fry chorizo until brown on both sides and remove from pan, leaving behind as much oil as possible. Add the chicken and spice mix, tossing them through the chorizo oil, and remove when browned. Reduce heat and add onion to pan, cooking until translucent. Add garlic, then sherry vinegar, and stir to collect any scraps stuck to the pan. Add the paprika and fry for a few seconds.

When vinegar has reduced by half, return chorizo and chicken to pan along with the rice. Fry, stirring, for a few minutes, then add tomatoes and capsicum. Add the saffron threads, stir to incorporate, then add stock, season with salt and pepper, and stir well, and leave to cook for 10-15 minutes, or until liquid has evaporated (avoid stirring the rice to encourage the socarrat to form).

Dot the raw seafood & snails evenly across the top of the rice, and keep on heat (without stirring) until the seafood is just cook by the steam escaping from the rice. The moisture the seafood releases will finish cooking the rice. Scatter with parsley and lemon wedges and serve.

Related Recipes

Latest Articles & Recipes