Steps

1. Lightly rub 300g Chicken Thigh with salt to taste. [Key Tip!] Seafood can be tricky to manage moisture-wise, so a meat-focused paella is recommended for beginners.
   🕒 00:51
2. Steep 2 pinches of Saffron in 400ml Water. [Key Tip!] Saffron is a spice for color and aroma, essential for paella. It can be substituted with curry powder, but it will result in a curry paella-like finish.
   🕒 01:38
3. Finely chop 1/2 Onion.
   🕒 02:22
4. Finely chop 2 Bell Peppers, keeping the stems and seeds intact.
   🕒 02:32
5. Dice 1 Tomato.
   🕒 02:48
6. Mince 1-2 cloves of Garlic.
   🕒 03:06
7. Lightly rinse and drain 2 cups of Rice. [Key Tip!] Over-rinsing the rice can make it mushy, so a quick wash is sufficient.
   🕒 03:10
8. Heat 1 tbsp Olive Oil in a pan. Sear 300g Chicken Thigh skin-side down until golden brown, then remove and set aside. [Key Tip!] Searing the chicken skin first and removing it transfers the umami to the oil and prevents the meat from becoming tough.
   🕒 03:30
9. In the oil rendered from the chicken, sauté minced 1-2 cloves of Garlic, finely chopped 1/2 Onion, and 2 Bell Peppers. Add more oil if needed. [Key Tip!] Sauté slowly to bring out the sweetness of the vegetables.
   🕒 04:17
10. Once a sweet aroma develops, add diced 1 Tomato and cook until it breaks down into a paste, evaporating its moisture. [Key Tip!] Thoroughly evaporating the tomato's moisture is the most crucial step to prevent a mushy paella.
    🕒 05:00
11. Add 2 tbsp Cooking Sake (Rice Wine), the steeped saffron liquid (400ml Water and 2 pinches Saffron), and salt to taste. Stir to combine.
    🕒 05:45
12. Evenly spread the rinsed and drained 2 cups of Rice in the pan. Do not stir the rice; gently shake the pan to level it. [Key Tip!] Never stir the rice once added. Japanese rice tends to become sticky easily.
    🕒 06:09
13. Tuck the chicken pieces among the rice grains.
    🕒 06:32
14. Once simmering gently, shake the pan and cook for about 3 minutes.
    🕒 06:45
15. Add 250g Clams, cover, and cook on low heat. [Key Tip!] When using Japanese rice, covering and cooking thoroughly helps prevent sogginess.
    🕒 07:01
16. Once cooked, check the rice and continue to cook until a slight crust forms at the bottom.
    🕒 08:22
17. Drizzle with olive oil and generously sprinkle with minced Parsley to taste.
    🕒 08:49
18. Serve with lemon wedges to taste and sprinkle with coarse black pepper to taste if desired. Enjoy!
    🕒 08:55