Julia Child’s American Paella

Experience the culinary magic of Julia Child’s Paella a l’Americaine, a truly extraordinary Spanish-inspired dish. This captivating recipe harmoniously blends fragrant saffron rice with tender chicken, succulent seafood, and savory chorizo, creating a symphony of flavors that will transport your taste buds to the heart of Spain, with a distinctive American touch.

More than just a meal, this impressive and multifaceted one-dish wonder is a Spanish classic reimagined, making it the perfect centerpiece for any gathering or special occasion. Prepare to dazzle your guests as they savor every flavorful bite of this magnificent Seafood Paella Recipe with Chicken, a dish that promises both elegance and incredible taste. It’s an ideal choice for those who love to entertain and wish to offer something truly memorable.

Why This Julia Child Paella Recipe is a Must-Try

• A Culinary Masterpiece from Julia Child: This magnificent chicken and seafood paella recipe isn’t just any dish; it’s a cherished creation from the legendary Julia Child. Her “Paella a l’Americaine” offers a unique and approachable twist on the traditional Spanish classic, making it accessible for home cooks while retaining its gourmet appeal. Crafted and served in a special paella pan, it ensures an authentic cooking experience and an impressive presentation.
• Stunning Presentation: Overflowing with plump shrimp, delicate mussels, aromatic saffron-infused rice, vibrant green peas, and more, this paella is a visual feast. When brought to the table, its rich colors and diverse textures create an absolutely beautiful presentation, guaranteed to draw gasps of admiration from your dinner guests. It’s a true showstopper that speaks volumes about your culinary prowess.
• A Complete and Satisfying Meal: With a harmonious blend of proteins, grains, and vegetables, this paella is a hearty and wholesome one-dish meal. All you need to complement its robust flavors is some crusty bread to soak up every last drop of the delicious juices. For those with a sweet tooth, a light, Spanish-inspired dessert can perfectly round out this extraordinary dining experience.
• Perfect for Entertaining: Imagine hosting a gathering where the main course is as much a conversation starter as it is a delectable meal. Paella is inherently a communal dish, designed for sharing and enjoyment. Its generous portion size and captivating appearance make it ideal for dinner parties, family celebrations, or any event where you want to impress without being overwhelmed by multiple complex courses.
• Flavorful and Diverse: Each spoonful offers a new discovery – from the smoky depth of chorizo and bacon to the delicate sweetness of shrimp and mussels, all infused with the golden essence of saffron. The tender chicken provides a comforting base, while the crisp-tender vegetables add freshness and texture. It’s a dish that keeps giving, ensuring every bite is as exciting as the last.

My mom first discovered this delightful Paella a l’Americaine recipe many years ago, in an era when our television offered only four stations and the concept of a remote control was a futuristic dream. She was an avid viewer of pioneering cooking shows like The Galloping Gourmet and, of course, the iconic The French Chef, starring none other than Julia Child. It was on one memorable Saturday that Julia Child, with her characteristic charm and culinary expertise, utterly captivated my mother by demonstrating her exquisite seafood paella recipe with chicken.

After the show aired, my mom, ever the proactive cook, promptly wrote to the TV station. In return, they mailed her the recipe—a truly quaint and treasured piece of culinary history in today’s digital age. I still cherish that original, typed copy, a tangible link to my mother’s adventurous spirit in the kitchen.

My mother was a fantastic and daring cook, and my dad, bless his heart, was her most willing guinea pig. He’d enthusiastically try anything she put in front of him, with one solitary exception: his mother’s oxtail soup. He carried vivid, not-so-fond memories of it from his childhood during the Depression, a time when, admittedly, ingredients might have been meager and the oxtails quite “pitiful.”

But when my mom experimented with more exotic dishes like wontons, egg rolls, moussaka, and this very paella, our family devoured every last bite. Paella, in particular, was reserved for those truly special occasions, marking moments of joy and togetherness. Today, I proudly continue this tradition, preparing the very same seafood paella recipe that my mom lovingly shared with our family decades ago. Mastering How to Throw a Paella Party will undoubtedly elevate your status as the most celebrated host or hostess among your friends and family!

Creating the Perfect Paella Party: Menu Suggestions

Elevate your Paella with Seafood and Chicken into an unforgettable dining experience with these thoughtful menu suggestions. Pairing the right drinks, appetizers, and desserts ensures a cohesive and delightful Spanish-inspired feast.

• Beverage Pairings: Begin your culinary journey with a selection of fine wines. A robust California Cabernet Sauvignon complements the richer notes of the paella, while a crisp Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio offers a refreshing contrast to the seafood. For a more festive touch, consider a specialty drink like a White Wine Sangria or a traditional Red Wine Sangria, perfect for sipping with appetizers. Always ensure you have non-alcoholic options available, such as sparkling waters, coffee, tea, and soft drinks, to cater to all guests.
• Delectable Appetizers: Set the stage with a Spanish Cheese Board. Feature authentic cheeses like aged Manchego, perfectly paired with sweet quince paste, a smoky Spanish Goat Cheese, and if you can find it, the pungent Cabrales blue cheese. If Cabrales is elusive, a rich triple creme cheese like St. Andres makes a superb and universally loved substitute. Enhance the board with Herbed Olives, crunchy Marcona almonds seasoned with rosemary and smoked paprika, fresh grapes, and an assortment of crackers and thinly sliced crusty bread.
• Fresh Salad Course: A vibrant salad provides a refreshing counterpoint to the richness of the paella. A crisp Caesar Salad, brightened with sweet grape tomatoes, tangy marinated artichoke hearts, and delicate mini cucumber slices, alongside homemade croutons, offers a delightful textual and flavor contrast.
• Optional Soup Starter: For those who appreciate a multi-course meal, a light soup can be a wonderful prelude. This delicious Gazpacho Recipe, a cold tomato soup originating from Andalusia, is an ideal choice. It’s light, refreshing, and perfectly aligns with the Spanish theme without being too heavy.
• Essential Crusty Bread: Don’t forget the importance of good bread! Serve plenty of crusty bread, ideal for soaking up the flavorful juices and sauces from the paella, ensuring no delicious drop goes to waste.
• Sweet Endings: Conclude your Spanish feast with a traditional dessert. A rich Cream Cheese Caramel Flan offers a decadent and creamy finish. Alternatively, individual Mini Vanilla Flans, delightful Spanish vanilla custards with a luscious caramel sauce, provide an elegant, portion-controlled option.

Essential Equipment for Julia Child’s Paella

To truly master Julia Child’s Paella a l’Americaine and achieve that authentic flavor and presentation, having the right tools is paramount. The pan you choose plays a significant role in the success of your paella.

• The Paella Pan: For enthusiasts planning to make paella frequently, investing in a dedicated paella pan is highly recommended. These shallow, wide pans are specifically designed to maximize the surface area for rice, promoting even cooking and the development of the coveted “socarrat” – the crispy, caramelized bottom layer of rice. The wider surface also allows for the beautiful arrangement of ingredients.
• Alternative Pan: If a dedicated paella pan isn’t in your immediate plans, a good substitute is a 3-quart straight-sided stainless steel pan with a large surface area. The key is the wide base, which mimics the shallow nature of a traditional paella pan, crucial for proper rice cooking.
• Pans to Avoid: For optimal results, non-stick and heavy cast-iron pans are generally not recommended for paella. Non-stick coatings can hinder the formation of the desirable socarrat, while the thick, heat-retaining properties of cast iron can make it difficult to control the precise temperature needed for perfect paella rice. Stick to stainless steel or a traditional carbon steel paella pan for the best outcome.

How to Master Julia Child’s Paella a l’Americaine: A Process Overview

Crafting Julia Child’s Paella a l’Americaine involves a series of carefully orchestrated steps, each contributing to the dish’s depth of flavor and exquisite texture. Here’s a simplified overview of the cooking process:

• Prepare Meats: Begin by steaming the fresh chorizo sausage until cooked through, then slice it. In the paella pan, brown the sliced chorizo along with the bacon until crisp and flavorful. This renders out delicious fat, essential for the next steps.
• Build the Sofrito: Using some of the rendered fat, sauté a colorful medley of vegetables – typically onions, peppers, and garlic – to create the foundational sofrito. This aromatic base is crucial for layering the flavors of the paella.
• Brown the Chicken: Remove the cooked sausages and sofrito from the pan and set aside. Utilize the remaining flavorful fat in the paella pan to brown the chicken pieces on all sides until golden.
• Simmer the Base: Return the reserved vegetables and sausages to the pan with the browned chicken. Deglaze the pan with dry white wine, then add chicken broth and a carefully selected blend of seasonings, including saffron, paprika, thyme, and oregano. Simmer this rich mixture for approximately 20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld beautifully and the chicken to partially cook.
• Introduce the Rice: Evenly sprinkle the short-grain rice into the simmering liquid. It’s important at this stage to gently distribute the rice but avoid stirring it excessively, which can release too much starch and make the paella gummy.
• Marinate Shrimp: While the rice begins to cook, marinate the shrimp with lemon juice, a touch of olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper. This simple step infuses the shrimp with bright, zesty flavors.
• Add Seafood: Once the rice starts to swell and appear slightly risen on the surface, it’s time to incorporate the marinated shrimp and fresh mussels. Gently tuck them into the rice without stirring, allowing them to steam and cook in the flavorful broth.
• Finish Cooking & Garnish: Continue to simmer the paella, uncovered, for another 8 to 10 minutes, or until the rice is tender-crisp (al dente). In the final 4-5 minutes, sprinkle over the defrosted peas, garbanzo beans, and diced tomatoes for added color and freshness. If the seafood needs a little extra cooking, you may briefly cover the pan.
• Serve with Flair: To serve this magnificent dish, sprinkle generously with freshly minced parsley and offer lemon quarters on the side for a bright, citrusy squeeze.

Chef’s Note on Socarrat: A hallmark of truly authentic and perfectly cooked paella is the “socarrat.” This is the irresistible toasted, crispy layer of rice that forms at the very bottom of the paella pan. To achieve this delightful texture, increase the heat to medium-high for the last 1-2 minutes of cooking time. Listen for a gentle crackling sound – that’s your socarrat forming!

PRO-Tip for Mussels: When cooking mussels, if any shells do not open after the cooking process, it’s safest to discard them. They were likely dead before cooking. To keep mussels fresh, my fishmonger advised storing them in a colander, covered with a damp paper towel. Mussels are living organisms and require oxygen, which the colander provides through air circulation.

Key Ingredient Notes for Julia Child’s Paella

Understanding the role of each ingredient is essential for perfecting Julia Child’s Paella a l’Americaine. The quality and type of ingredients significantly impact the final flavor profile and texture of this beloved dish.

• Sausage: This recipe specifically calls for chorizo, a richly flavored Spanish or Mexican pork sausage. Julia Child’s original recipe specifies fresh chorizo, which offers a distinct texture and spicy depth. While dried chorizo can also be used in other paella variations, the fresh variety lends a more tender consistency to this particular dish. If chorizo is unavailable, a high-quality Italian sausage can serve as a suitable, though slightly different, substitute. It’s worth noting that many traditional Spanish paellas, especially those from Valencia, typically do not include sausage.
• Spanish Rice: The type of rice is absolutely critical for paella. You must use a short-grain rice variety that can absorb a large amount of liquid without becoming mushy, while still retaining a slight bite. Excellent choices include Italian Arborio rice, commonly used for risotto, or the more traditional Spanish Bomba rice, often considered the gold standard for paella due to its superior absorption qualities.
• Sofrito: This aromatic foundation is the heart of many Latin American, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish cuisines. For paella, the sofrito typically consists of finely chopped peppers, onions, garlic, and sometimes tomatoes, gently cooked in olive oil. It’s the essential flavor builder, creating a rich, savory base that permeates the entire dish.
• Stock: A flavorful stock is vital for hydrating the rice and infusing it with taste. This recipe utilizes both chicken and seafood stock. However, using a good quality chicken stock or broth is generally sufficient and still yields excellent results. Ensure your stock is low-sodium so you can control the seasoning.
• Dry White Wine: A splash of dry white wine is added early in the cooking process. While the alcohol evaporates during simmering, it leaves behind complex flavors that enhance the overall depth of the paella. Use a wine you enjoy drinking, such as a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.
• Saffron: Known as the world’s most expensive spice, saffron is indispensable for authentic paella. It’s harvested from the delicate stigma and styles of the “saffron crocus,” a labor-intensive process requiring approximately 80,000 flowers to produce just one pound of saffron threads! Saffron imparts its distinctive floral aroma and the traditional golden-yellow color to the paella rice. Sourcing from reputable spice merchants like Penzey’s ensures high quality.
• Protein Medley: While traditional paella Valenciana often features rabbit and snails, Julia Child’s American version embraces a more broadly appealing protein combination. This recipe includes tender chicken pieces, savory sausage, crispy bacon, succulent shrimp, and briny mussels. Other popular seafood additions in various paellas can include clams, squid, lobster, and even crayfish.
• Fresh Vegetables: A vibrant array of vegetables adds color, texture, and nutritional value. This recipe calls for garbanzo beans (chickpeas), defrosted green peas, ripe tomatoes (Roma tomatoes are excellent in winter), red bell pepper for its sweet crunch and visual appeal, yellow onion, and fresh garlic.
• Essential Spices: Beyond the star spice, saffron, this paella is seasoned with a bay leaf, dried thyme, and oregano. These herbs complement the richness of the meats and seafood, while salt and freshly ground black pepper are adjusted to taste, ensuring a perfectly balanced dish.

Frequently Asked Questions About Paella

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The Recipe:

Julia Child’s Paella a l’Americaine

Prep Time
20 minutes

Cook Time
45 minutes

Total Time
1 hour 5 minutes

Yield
8 servings

A timeless culinary classic, very slightly adapted from Julia Child’s legendary Paella a l’Americaine. This recipe brings together rich Spanish flavors with an accessible American approach.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (Based on 64 reviews)

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh chorizo sausage
• 1⁄2 pound bacon, sliced into small strips
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• 1 cup sliced red bell pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 small bone-in chicken breasts
• 4 chicken drumsticks
• 1⁄2 cup dry white wine
• 4 1⁄2 cups chicken broth
• 1⁄2 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 bay leaf
• 1⁄2 teaspoon thyme
• 1⁄2 teaspoon oregano
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• 2 cups imported Arborio rice

For shrimp marinade:

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon oregano
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)

To finish the paella:

• 1 pound large shrimp, deveined and shelled
• 24 mussels (or clams), scrubbed and debearded
• 2-3 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, juiced, and large diced
• 2 cups frozen green peas, defrosted
• 1 cup garbanzo beans (canned), drained and rinsed
• 2 lemons, quartered (for serving)
• Parsley, minced (for garnish)

Instructions

1. Prick sausages with a fork and steam in a pan with a little water until cooked through. Cool and slice.
2. Add sliced sausages and bacon to a large sauté pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook until lightly browned; stir in onions and red bell peppers.
3. Cover and cook slowly until vegetables are tender. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
4. Remove all these ingredients (sausages, bacon, and vegetables) to a heatproof bowl using a slotted spoon, reserving the rendered fat in the pan. Transfer this fat to your paella pan.
5. Pat chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Heat the fat in the paella pan over medium-high heat and brown the chicken on all sides.
6. Return the reserved vegetables and sausages to the paella pan with the chicken. Add the dry white wine, chicken broth, saffron threads, paprika, ground coriander, bay leaf, thyme, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper to taste (adjust based on the saltiness of your chicken broth). Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes (the chicken will not be completely cooked at this point. If preparing ahead, you can stop here, cool, and refrigerate. Bring to a boil before continuing).
7. Sprinkle the Arborio rice evenly into the pan, gently mixing it down into the liquid with a spoon. Do not stir excessively.
8. Increase heat and boil rapidly for 5 to 6 minutes, uncovered. Do not stir the rice during this stage.
9. While the mixture is boiling, combine shrimp with lemon juice, a quarter teaspoon of oregano, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
10. When the rice is swollen and begins to rise to the surface, rapidly push the marinated shrimp, tail end down, into the rice. Add the mussels (or clams), hinge-side down, nestling them among the rice and other ingredients. Cook for a few minutes, flipping shrimp as needed until they turn pink.
11. Again, do not stir the rice. Simply push the seafood and any loose ingredients gently down into the rice with a spoon to ensure they cook evenly.
12. Reduce heat to medium-low and let the paella simmer for another 8 to 10 minutes, or more, uncovered, until the rice is just tender (slightly al dente). During the last 4 or 5 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the defrosted peas, drained garbanzo beans, and diced tomatoes over the surface. If the seafood needs a bit more cooking, you may briefly cover the pan with a lid.
13. To serve, garnish generously with freshly minced parsley and arrange lemon quarters around the edge of the paella pan or on a separate plate for guests to squeeze over their portions. Enjoy!

Notes

This exquisite recipe is inspired by and adapted from the legendary Julia Child’s Paella a l’Americaine.

Watch the Recipe Video: PAELLA a L’AMERICAINE

Julia Child’s ultimate Paella Recipe! Perfect for dinner parties and special occasions! For the printable recipe, visit: thatskinnychickcanbake.com/julia-childs-paella-a-lamericaine/

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 servings (original data says 8, but nutrition information provided for 10)
Serving Size: 1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 1288
Total Fat: 58g
Saturated Fat: 17g
Trans Fat: 0g
Unsaturated Fat: 34g
Cholesterol: 452mg
Sodium: 3345mg
Carbohydrates: 50g
Fiber: 4g
Sugar: 7g
Protein: 132g