This past weekend my husband made a delicious paella mixta, complete with chorizo, chicken, shrimp, and even oysters from Bodega Bay Oyster Company. This was an all-day affair, which is to be expected, given the prep and the research he wanted to do about the best methods for making paella. He decided to cook it on the grill outside, over wood chips, which gave the it a delicious, smoky flavor. He earned major points with this endeavor!

I was inspired to share some video clips with you about the cooking process. A clear recipe for paella mixta can be found here. Keep in mind that everyone likes different ingredients, so it may take a few tries until you establish your “style.” I know that every Spanish family has their secret to the perfect paella. I especially like this video, which shows in detail the different steps taken to prep and cook the ingredients before combining everything in the pan for simmering.

I also can’t resist sharing this video – just in case you want to know what cooking paella for 400 people looks like.

Finally, a post about paella is not complete without a mention of fideuà. I fell in love with fideuà while in Valencia. This pasta version of paella is, to me, the epitome of comfort food. I made some awhile back for a Spanish friend of ours, and he pronounced it proper…so, feeling confident in my skills at this point. Between my husband’s paella and my fideuà, we are covered.

One big piece of advice is to give yourself enough time for cooking. Make it an all-afternoon affair, complete with a bit of manchego and Albariño, and you’ll be a happy camper. Buen provecho.