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Yield: 4-6
Ingredients & Directions
Directions
Heather's Award Winning Poppin' Paella
- Light grill to medium high but also set up an indirect heating zone for finishing chicken and/or seafood as needed. (Recommend using a grill grate or heat deflector over direct heat side to help paella pan heat more evenly.)
- Mix together sea salt, pepper and smoked paprika to season chicken and seafood as needed.
- Cook seasoned chicken thighs over direct heat until they are about 155°F and then move to indirect side of grill to finish cooking to 165°F.
- While chicken is grilling, heat chicken stock in a medium sized pan and add saffron threads; bring to a boil & then reduce to a simmer.
- Heat paella pan over direct heat; add oil and heat.
- Sautee onions & cook until soft; add garlic & cook an additional minute; add chorizo & cook stirring occasionally until brown & crisp; add piquillo peppers.
- Add rice and mix together, stirring constantly for a few minutes.
- Stir in about 4 cups of simmering chicken stock, making sure the rice is well incorporated in the liquid (DO NOT STIR ANY MORE - this helps develop the beautiful crunchy rice on bottom of traditional paella); add additional stock as needed to dry areas of pan to make sure rice cooks fully and to an al dente state (approximately 25 minutes).
- While rice is simmering on the grill start preparing chicken and seafood to add to pan.
- Slice thighs into 2 to 3 pieces per thigh and push down into rice mixture in pan.
- When rice is close to done (about last 15 minutes of cooking), add green bean pieces, & start working on seafood for adding.
- Place lobster tails, shell down, on grill grates for a few minutes to par-cook them; when shells start to turn red, remove from grill and add to paella pan, pushing down in rice mixture; check to see if additional chicken stock needs to be added to pan.
- Be sure to make sure any mussels that are not closed have been discarded after cleaning; tap any open ones on counter or side of pan and see if they begin to close; discard if they don't.
- Add mussels to paella pan with about 10 minutes until rice is done; check to see if any additional chicken stock needs to be added to pan.
- Season shrimp and scallops with a little bit of the seasoning mix used on chicken and place in paella pan too, pushing down into rice.
- Continue to cook dish until all seafood is cooked through, and rice is al dente.
- Grill lemon halves; place several grilled halves into paella pan and squeeze some of the others over entire dish or give to each person eating to squeeze over their plate.
- Adjust salt and pepper if needed; garnish in pan with parsley leaves; serve entire dish at the table for a spectacular presentation!
NOTES:
*may substitute with regular olive oil or canola oil
**may substitute with another variety of short grain rice, but don't use any long grain varieties because they will not cook properly in this type of dish
***may substitute with red bell peppers
Ingredient note: If you are unable to locate any of the specialty items in your local retailers, look online for them!f
The pan used to develop this recipe was from our friends at Lodge Cast Iron and is their 15" Seasoned Carbon Steel Dual Handled Pan.
Did you make this recipe? Tag @smfchicken with #smfchickenrecipes
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Yield: 4-6
Ingredients
Directions
Heather's Award Winning Poppin' Paella
- Light grill to medium high but also set up an indirect heating zone for finishing chicken and/or seafood as needed. (Recommend using a grill grate or heat deflector over direct heat side to help paella pan heat more evenly.)
- Mix together sea salt, pepper and smoked paprika to season chicken and seafood as needed.
- Cook seasoned chicken thighs over direct heat until they are about 155°F and then move to indirect side of grill to finish cooking to 165°F.
- While chicken is grilling, heat chicken stock in a medium sized pan and add saffron threads; bring to a boil & then reduce to a simmer.
- Heat paella pan over direct heat; add oil and heat.
- Sautee onions & cook until soft; add garlic & cook an additional minute; add chorizo & cook stirring occasionally until brown & crisp; add piquillo peppers.
- Add rice and mix together, stirring constantly for a few minutes.
- Stir in about 4 cups of simmering chicken stock, making sure the rice is well incorporated in the liquid (DO NOT STIR ANY MORE - this helps develop the beautiful crunchy rice on bottom of traditional paella); add additional stock as needed to dry areas of pan to make sure rice cooks fully and to an al dente state (approximately 25 minutes).
- While rice is simmering on the grill start preparing chicken and seafood to add to pan.
- Slice thighs into 2 to 3 pieces per thigh and push down into rice mixture in pan.
- When rice is close to done (about last 15 minutes of cooking), add green bean pieces, & start working on seafood for adding.
- Place lobster tails, shell down, on grill grates for a few minutes to par-cook them; when shells start to turn red, remove from grill and add to paella pan, pushing down in rice mixture; check to see if additional chicken stock needs to be added to pan.
- Be sure to make sure any mussels that are not closed have been discarded after cleaning; tap any open ones on counter or side of pan and see if they begin to close; discard if they don't.
- Add mussels to paella pan with about 10 minutes until rice is done; check to see if any additional chicken stock needs to be added to pan.
- Season shrimp and scallops with a little bit of the seasoning mix used on chicken and place in paella pan too, pushing down into rice.
- Continue to cook dish until all seafood is cooked through, and rice is al dente.
- Grill lemon halves; place several grilled halves into paella pan and squeeze some of the others over entire dish or give to each person eating to squeeze over their plate.
- Adjust salt and pepper if needed; garnish in pan with parsley leaves; serve entire dish at the table for a spectacular presentation!