Paella mixta is, according to many Spaniards, the tourist version of Paella Valenciana. Like many cuisines that achieve international fame, Spanish dishes have been adapted using local ingredients everywhere.
For instance, in Tijuana, where we live, people add octopus to the Paella mixta, an unthinkable add-on for most traditionalists.
After thorough research, Alvaro -my husband- and I decided to make our own Paella mixta.
As you may know, Alvaro is from Spain, so we strived to cook a delicious Paella mixta, without compromising the authentic taste any paella should have.
Before we start…
This dish is so controversial and famous that you might have some burning questions about it. Let us answer them before we dive into the details of this recipe.
The dish takes its name from the traditional pan used to cook it on an open fire.
Paella is one of the best-known dishes, and because of that, it’s also controversial.
The polemic started because of the original Paella Valenciana recipe. More specifically, the ingredients. Many of them are local such as garrafó, “bomba” rice, artichokes, saffron, and rabbit. All of these ingredients are very hard to find if you aren’t in Valencia.
As a result, it’s natural to find local adaptations that Valencians don’t always receive well.
For instance, we use pork instead of rabbit for our paella mixta. In our defense, I can say that it’s a common substitution.
In Tijuana, people add octopus to the recipe, and it tastes delicious. However, many traditionalists argue bitterly against this kind of adaptation because -they say- paella and rice skillets are different.
Adding chorizo is the worst paella sin. Chorizo has a strong flavor that overpowers the delicate taste and scent of some of the other ingredients.
Authentic paella has saffron and paprika. Both add aromatic richness complexity to the dish.
Paella mixta
Equipment
- Paella
Ingredients
- 5 cups of paella rice ("bomba" is the traditional one, but short grain rice will do)
- 1 lb of boneless chicken thighs
- ¾ lb of boneless pork chops
- ½ lb of jumbo shrimp or prawns (about 10 large or 14 medium)
- ½ lb of mussels (about 6-8 large)
- ½ lb of green beans
- ½ pound of squid or small cuttlefish
- 1 can 1 can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped in strips
- ½ ½ onion, diced
- 1 tbsp of paprika
- 1 pinch of saffron
- 1 clove of garlic, chopped
- Salt to taste
- ½ cup 1/2 cup of Virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Heat the oil in the paella pan and cook well the meat.
- Add onion, green beans, garlic, and red bell pepper strips. Keep cooking until the vegetables are soft.
- Add the tomato puree and the paprika and wait for the tomato puree to reduce a little before the next step.
- Now scatter all the ingredients very well because once you add the rice, you can't move it.
- Scatter the rice uniformly all over the pan, and add the broth carefully. Make sure it's well distributed all over the paella.
- From now on, you can't touch the rice. You can't move it.
- Add salt to the broth and season with saffron. While the rice is cooking, the seafood too.
- You can arrange the seafood in any way you want to make it more appealing. I like to put the mussels in the center and the shrimp on the sides.
- If you use paella rice, you'll notice that it'll grow more than double its size while cooking.
- The paella is ready when there is no broth left to absorb, and the rice expands. Keep an eye on the paella because it can burn. So, it's better to taste when there is little broth left in the pan. It'll help to check if the rice is done.
- And once is done, serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
If you liked this paella mixta recipe, you might like some of my other recipes too.
And remember, if you try this recipe and want to share your pictures, tag me @lacooquette on Instagram. I’d love to share your pictures on my IG stories.
Leave a Reply