Paella with Mary Manette Smoked Canadian Mussels
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 Roma tomatoes, very finely diced (or 8 oz tomato sauce)
- Bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon paprika, sweet or smoked
- 1 pinch saffron threads
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup white wine
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into pieces
- ¼ cup flat leaf parsley chopped, divided
- 2 cups Spanish rice
- 5 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ½ lb jumbo shrimp or prawns, about 12 – peeled, tail on
- 1 tin Mary Manette smoked mussels
- 8 oz calamari rings
- Lemons, for garnish
Preparation
- Add olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell peppers and garlic, and cook until onion is translucent. Add chopped tomato, bay leaf, paprika, saffron salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 5½minutes.
- Add white wine and cook for 10 minutes. Taste and add salt as needed.
- Add chicken pieces, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley and rice to the pot. Cook for 1 minute.
- Pour the broth slowly all around the pan and jiggle the pan to get the rice into an even layer. (Do not stir the mixture going forward!).
- Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Give the pan a gentle shake back and forth just once or twice during cooking. Remember, do not stir the rice!
- Cook for about 15-18 minutes (uncovered), then nestle the shrimp and calamari into the mixture, sprinkle peas on top and continue to cook (without stirring) for about 5 more minutes.
- Watch for most of the liquid to be absorbed and the rice at the top to be nearly tender, and then add one tin of Mary Manette smoked Canadian mussels.
- Remove pan from heat and cover pan with a lid or tinfoil. Place a kitchen towel over the lid and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon slices. Serve.
