Outdoor Cooking & Charcoal Oven Recipes / Chicken

Seafood paella from the Charlie Oven with lemon slices and parsley

Cooked in the Charlie Charcoal Oven

Spanish Paella

Saffron rice, chicken, chorizo and seafood, with a toasted socarrat underneath. This paella cooks in one wide pan in Charlie, with a little applewood smoke to finish. Once the rice is settled, leave it alone. The toasted layer underneath is worth resisting the urge to stir.

Tara QuickCo-founder, Charlie Oven
Sear
Prep15 minutes
Cook50 minutes
Serves4 to 6
DifficultyEasy
Oven temperature180°C (355°F)
RackPaella pan on the middle rack, with a pizza stone on the upper rack for the flatbreads
CharcoalAbout half a football of good quality lumpwood charcoal

Charlie Oven — https://charlieoven.com/blogs/charcoal-recipes/spanish-paella

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Ingredients

4 to 6 servings

For the base

For the rice

To finish

To serve

Equipment

Everything used in this recipe. Already have Charlie? Add the accessories in one go.

  • Charlie Charcoal Oven£5,950.00Choose your oven
  • Stag British Premium Lumpwood Charcoal£96.50
  • Charlie Oven Cooking Rack£280.00
  • Charlie Oven Tongs 55cm£40.00
  • Pizza and Baking Stone£60.00
Stag British Premium Lumpwood Charcoal, Charlie Oven Cooking Rack, Charlie Oven Tongs 55cm and Pizza and Baking Stone £476.50 together

Method

Light Charlie

  1. Light Charlie

    Light Charlie with about half a football of good-quality lumpwood charcoal and bring it up to 180°C (355°F). Set a rack in the middle of the oven. For the first stage of cooking, work with the door open and the top vent open, as you would on a hob.
    Why this mattersThe middle rack gives the paella pan steady, even heat. Lower racks are hotter and more direct and can scorch the base before the rice is cooked, while higher racks are gentler.

Base

  1. Brown the chorizo and chicken

    Put a large paella pan on the rack, add the olive oil and heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chorizo and cook until browned and releasing its oils. Stir in the chicken and cook until lightly golden.

  2. Soften the vegetables

    Add the onion, garlic and peppers and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until softened. Stir in the smoked paprika.
    7 min timer

Rice

  1. Toast the rice and add the liquid

    Soak the ⅛ tsp saffron threads in 2 tbsp hot stock taken from the listed allowance. Add the rice to the pan and stir for 2 minutes to coat it in the oils and spices. Pour in the white wine and let it reduce. Add the hot stock and saffron with its soaking liquid, then season with salt and pepper. Stir once to spread everything evenly, then leave it alone.
    Why this mattersOnce the stock is in, resist stirring. Leaving the rice undisturbed lets it cook evenly and allows the golden socarrat crust to form on the base later.

  2. Add smoke and simmer

    Scatter a handful of dry applewood chips over the charcoal and toss the bay leaves onto the fire. Cover the pan with foil or a lid, close the door and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is nearly cooked.
    18 min timer

Seafood

  1. Add the seafood

    Remove the cover and gently arrange the mixed seafood and prawns over the top of the rice. Close the door and cook for another 5 to 8 minutes, until the seafood is just cooked and the rice has formed a golden crust on the bottom of the pan.
    6 min timer
    Why this mattersWith the cover off, the last of the liquid cooks away and the rice in contact with the hot pan toasts into socarrat. Listen for a gentle crackle and a toasty smell rather than a burnt one.

Serve

  1. Rest and serve

    Lift the pan out of Charlie and leave it to rest for 5 minutes. Scatter over fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges, and garlic flatbreads if you are making them.
    5 min timer

Tips

  • Bake flatbreads on a pizza stone on the top rack during the final stage of cooking for a good accompaniment
  • Do not stir the paella once the stock is added to allow the socarrat crust to form on the bottom
  • Use bomba or calasparra rice for the best results as they absorb more liquid without becoming mushy
  • Add the smoking chips just before covering the pan for maximum smoky flavour
  • Let the paella rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow the flavours to settle

More recipes

The cook

Tara Quick

Co-founder, Charlie Oven

Tara Quick is co-founder of Charlie Oven, a lifelong foodie who loves to cook and bring people together around the table. Her approach is simple: start with great ingredients, let the oven do the hard work and cook with love. Food made with love just tastes better.

More recipes by Tara Quick

Frequently asked questions

  • Which rice should I use for paella?

    Use bomba or calasparra. Both absorb plenty of stock while holding their shape, so the grains stay separate rather than turning mushy. Risotto rice releases more starch and gives a creamier result, which is not what you want here.

  • Should I stir paella while it cooks?

    Stir once after adding the stock to spread everything evenly, then leave it. Stirring breaks the grains and stops the socarrat, the toasty crust on the base, from forming.

  • Which rack should I cook the paella on?

    Use a middle rack at around 180°C (356°F). Lower racks are hotter and more direct and can catch the base before the rice is cooked. Upper racks are gentler, which is why they suit flatbreads on a pizza stone at the end.

  • Can I make this in a Cheeky Charlie?

    Yes, as long as your paella pan sits comfortably on the rack with the door closed. Choose a pan to suit the oven and keep the same temperatures and timings as a guide.