Recipes Dinner Rice Dishes Paella Mixed Vegetable Paella 5.0 (1) 2 Reviews To develop the socarrat, the crispy crust of rice that's so integral to classic paella, check the edges with a spoon or offset spatula as it cooks. Once the stock is almost fully absorbed by the rice, begin checking more frequently; it can quickly go from golden brown to scorched. Take a cue from chef Peter Lee and serve the paella with a dollop of lemon aioli, and grilled lemon wedges and on-the-vine cherry tomatoes. By Peter Lee Updated on August 2, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Save Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Aubrie Pick Active Time: 50 mins Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Yield: 4 servings Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients Paella 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 12 ounces squash (such as yellow squash or zucchini), quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch slices 1 cup stemmed fresh hen-of-the-woods mushrooms 1 cup chopped yellow onion 1 cup chopped red bell pepper 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided 2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped 1/2 cup undrained canned diced tomatoes, or chopped very ripe tomatoes 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 quart vegetable stock or water Pinch of saffron threads 1/4 cup thinly sliced Swiss chard 1 cup uncooked Bomba rice (such as Santo Tomas), see Note Hot water, as needed 1/2 medium lemon 1/4 cup Lemon Aioli Grilled lemon wedges and cherry tomatoes, for serving Lemon Aioli 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest 1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon grated garlic Directions Make the Paella Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 15-inch carbon steel paella pan over high until shimmering. Add squash and mushrooms; cook, undisturbed, until browned on 1 side, about 3 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside. Reduce heat to medium-low; add onion, bell pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Cook, stirring often, until onion darkens around edges, about 15 minutes, stirring in garlic during final 1 minute of cook time. Stir diced tomatoes and tomato paste into mixture, scraping up browned bits on bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring often, until liquid in pan evaporates and tomato paste sizzles, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in vegetable stock, saffron, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Stir in chard and squash mixture. Sprinkle rice over mixture, stirring gently to disperse evenly. Return mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until rice grains are just above top of stock, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, repositioning pan over heat every few minutes by turning pan about 90 degrees to redistribute heat, until rice is tender, has absorbed all liquid, and begins to brown on bottom, about 20 minutes. (Use a small spoon to gently lift rice from bottom of pan to check for brownness on crust.) If the liquid is cooking off quickly and rice is still al dente, add hot water as needed (1/4 cup at a time) until rice is tender. Remove pan from heat; loosely cover with aluminum foil or a clean kitchen towel, and let stand 10 minutes. Make the Aioli Stir together all ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 week. Serve the Paella Uncover and squeeze juice from lemon half over paella; top with dollops of lemon aioli, grilled lemon wedges, and tomatoes. Notes Bomba rice is a short-grain rice that can absorb a large amount of liquid without bursting or becoming mushy. Find it at specialty stores or on amazon.com. Suggested Pairing Robust, stone-fruited, Chenin Blanc. Originally appeared: April 2020 Rate It Print