Servings:

12

Paella is a feast, a dish made for sharing. Martha's paella for a crowd has chicken, pork, shrimp, calamari, mussels, and clams in a flavorful tomato rice. The rice is studded with bell peppers and peas and flavored with saffron and Spanish smoked paprika.

Learn how to get a soccarat, the delicious crispy crust of the paella that becomes caramelized and toasted on the bottom of the pan as it cooks, by following Martha's recipe. Her paella for a crowd makes enough for 12 diners; if you are feeding a bigger crowd, you can double the recipe.

What Is a Paella Pan?

"Paella" is a word from the Valencia region of Spain; it derives from the Latin term for "pan." Paella is both a dish and the pan that the dish is cooked in. A paella pan is wide and shallow to create maximum surface area; this allows liquid to evaporate and forms as much crispy golden crust (called socarrat) on the bottom of the paella as possible.

Paella pans come in a wide range of sizes, from options that feed just one or two people to giant iterations that make paella for a crowd (and a large one at that—over a 100 hungry diners!). A large paella pan can be placed across two burners—as Martha does in this paella recipe—or it can be cooked on the grill or in the oven. Carbon steel is the most popular material for paella pans, but it's not your only option. There are also stainless-steel and enameled paella pans.

How to Make Paella Without a Paella Pan

Any wide, shallow skillet can be used in place of a paella pan. The most important thing to keep in mind is that your layer of rice should be no more than 2 inches deep.

Ingredients

12 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 5 pounds)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons paprika
4 large tomatoes
1 large red bell pepper, cut into quarters, stemmed, seeded, and ribs removed
1 large green bell pepper, cut into quarters, stemmed, seeded, and ribs removed
2 teaspoons saffron
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups homemade or store-bought chicken stock, warmed
⅓ cup cognac
1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large white onion, chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 ¼ pounds calamari, cleaned and cut crosswise into ½-inch rings
12 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 ½ pounds short-grain white rice
16 littleneck clams, scrubbed
18 mussels, scrubbed
2 cups fresh or frozen peas
½ pound blanched haricot vert, trimmed and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for serving
Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

Marinate chicken:

Place chicken in a large bowl and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with paprika; turn chicken to coat. Cover and let marinate, refrigerated, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
Blanch tomatoes:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil; meanwhile prepare an ice-water bath. With a paring knife, core tomatoes and score an X on the bottoms. Working in batches, carefully lower them into boiling water; when skins begin to split, after 30 to 60 seconds, use a slotted spoon to transfer tomatoes to ice-water bath.
Peel and chop tomatoes:

When tomatoes are cool, remove skins (using a paring knife, if necessary) and discard. Halve tomatoes. Remove seeds with a spoon, and discard. Finely chop tomatoes.
Cut peppers:

Cut peppers crosswise and into 1/4-inch strips; set aside.
Grind saffron with salt and add to cognac and stock:

Using a mortar and pestle, grind together saffron and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Add saffron mixture to a medium bowl and add 1 cup chicken stock and cognac. Whisk until well combined, set aside.
Cook chicken thighs:

Heat an 18-inch paella pan with at least 2-inch sides over two burners set at medium-high heat. Coat the bottom of the pan with remaining tablespoon olive oil. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and add to pan. Cook, turning, until golden brown on all sides, about 8 minutes.
Add pork:

Season pork and add to pan. Cook, turning, until browned, about 6 minutes more.
Add vegetables:

Add peppers, onions, garlic, and tomatoes. Cook, stirring, about 8 minutes.
Add calamari and shrimp:

Add calamari and shrimp and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes more.
Add rice, saffron mixture, and then more stock:

Add rice to pan and stir to coat. Add reserved saffron mixture and let cook about 1 minute. Add 1 1/2 cups more stock and bring to a boil. Cook, rotating pan and stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. If rice appears dry around edges add more stock as necessary.
Add clams, mussels, peas, and more stock:

Nestle clams, mussels, and peas into rice and add 1 cup stock. Cook, stirring occasionally, adding more stock as necessary (you may not need to use all the stock), until rice is tender, shellfish has opened, and nearly all the liquid has evaporated from the pan, about 20 minutes.
Add haricot vert, cook, and serve:

Turn heat to high. Add haricot vert, and stir to combine. Cook, without stirring, until vegetables are warmed through, and remaining liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately with lemon wedges.