Set out the short-grain paella rice, chicken pieces, prawns, mussels, chorizo, diced onions, garlic, tomatoes, bell pepper, green beans, olive oil, smoked paprika, saffron threads, and warm stock; keep lemon wedges and parsley for serving.

Warm a wide paella pan over medium-high heat, coat it with olive oil, and brown the chicken and chorizo; transfer them to a side plate once the surfaces turn golden.

Lower the heat slightly, add more oil if needed, and sauté the onion and bell pepper until soft before stirring in the garlic and green beans.

Fold in the grated or finely chopped tomatoes and cook the mixture down into a thick, rust-coloured sofrito base.

Sprinkle smoked paprika over the sofrito, return the browned chicken and chorizo to the pan, and stir just enough to coat everything in the aromatic oil.

Scatter the rice evenly across the pan, stirring briefly so each grain is slicked with flavourful oil but not yet toasted.

Dissolve saffron threads in the hot stock, then pour the liquid into the pan, gently shaking the pan to level the rice without stirring further.

Simmer the paella uncovered, adjusting the heat so a steady bubble forms across the surface while the rice absorbs the saffron-tinted stock.

At the halfway mark, nestle the prawns and mussels into the rice, hinge-side down, so they steam open as the rice finishes cooking.

Avoid stirring; instead, rotate the pan occasionally for even heat and listen for the gentle crackle that signals a forming socarrat crust on the bottom.

When the liquid is nearly gone and the rice is al dente, scatter peas (if using) over the top, cover loosely with foil, and let the paella rest off the heat for a few minutes.

Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon wedges; present the paella straight from the pan so diners can scrape up the prized socarrat.