Spanish-style paella

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 1 large onion(s)
• 6 cloves garlic
• 4 tomatoes
• 5 bell peppers, green
• 600 g mixed mushrooms, e.g. oyster mushrooms, porcini mushrooms, button mushrooms
• 1 chicken, approx. 1.4 kg
• 800 g paella rice
• 3 bay leaves
• 150 ml white wine, semi-dry or dry
• 3 chili peppers, dried (cayenne pepper), more or less depending on the spiciness
• 3 sprigs of parsley
• 1.6 liters of water
• n. B. salt and pepper, black
• 8 tbsp olive oil for frying
• e.g. rosemary
• n. B. Thyme
• n. B. Herbs of Provence
• n. B. cumin powder
• n. B. Paprika powder, sweet

Instructions

Working time approx. 35 minutes; Rest time approx. 5 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 40 minutes

Peel the garlic cloves and chop into large pieces. Finely chop the parsley. Peel the tomatoes and dice them into small pieces. Clean and finely dice the onions and bell peppers. Chop all the mushrooms into large pieces; they will shrink later. Cut the chicken into individual pieces and season with salt on all sides. It’s important to keep the ingredients separate, as they will be added at different times. Add a little olive oil to a very deep pan. In a pinch, a large saucepan or soup pot will also work, ensuring the entire bottom of the pan is well coated with oil. Heat the oil over maximum heat. When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium (level 6 out of 10) and add all the bay leaves to the oil. Then add the chicken pieces to the pan and sear them in the oil, turning them constantly. Add more salt after about 4-5 minutes, if necessary. Break the hot chili peppers and add them to the oil (note: since the peppers are cooked from the beginning, they will release a lot of heat). After another 5 minutes, use a knife to score the thicker chicken pieces slightly so they cook better on the inside and release more flavor. Add the chopped garlic to the oil. After turning the chicken continuously for about 5 minutes, crush the softened garlic. Then add the rosemary, pepper, and parsley and mix everything well. Then add the cumin powder and mix everything again. Immediately after, add the chopped bell peppers and onion. Stir and scrape continuously with a wooden spoon, as it can stick to the bottom of the pan. Then add the thyme and a dash of olive oil. After a minute, add more salt if desired. Stir and scrape to ensure everything is cooked evenly. After about 2 minutes, add the herbs de Provence and mix everything well. After another 5 minutes, add the mushrooms and season with salt if desired. After about 5 minutes, the mushrooms should be soft. Pour in the white wine and increase the heat to maximum until the wine boils. Return the heat to medium (level 6 out of 10). Add the tomatoes and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice, stir to combine, and add the water. Increase the heat to maximum. After about 8 minutes, add the paprika to taste. Cook while stirring until the rice is absorbed and tender. Let stand for about 5 minutes, then serve. Note: You can add chili, salt, or Provençal herbs to taste. Use the spices according to your own taste.