Seafood paella with prawns, mussels and red peppers in a paella pan

Paella

Written by on in Seafood

Paella is Spain’s famous rice dish, cooked in a wide, shallow pan so every grain soaks up a saffron-scented broth. This seafood version is loaded with prawns, mussels and squid, and the best part is the socarrat, the crispy, caramelized layer of rice on the bottom of the pan. Bring the whole pan to the table and let everyone dig in.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 40 min
Total: 1 hr
Serves: 6

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 ripe tomatoes, grated (or 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes)
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (pimentón)
  • 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, soaked in 2 tablespoons warm water
  • 2 cups (400 g) Spanish short-grain rice, such as bomba or Calasparra
  • 5 cups (1.2 liters) hot fish or seafood stock
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 12 oz (340 g) large shell-on prawns or langoustines
  • 1 lb (450 g) mussels, scrubbed and debearded
  • 8 oz (225 g) squid, cut into rings
  • 1/2 cup (70 g) frozen peas
  • Lemon wedges and chopped parsley, for serving

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a 15-inch (38 cm) paella pan or your widest skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 6–8 minutes, until soft.
  2. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the grated tomato and smoked paprika and cook for about 5 minutes, until thick and jammy. This is your sofrito.
  3. Add the rice and stir for 1–2 minutes to coat every grain in the sofrito.
  4. Pour in the hot stock, the saffron with its soaking water and the salt. Stir once to spread the rice in an even layer, then don’t stir again.
  5. Simmer over medium-high heat for 10 minutes.
  6. Scatter the squid and peas over the rice and press the mussels in, hinge side down. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 8–10 minutes.
  7. Arrange the prawns on top for the last 5 minutes, turning them once, until pink and cooked through, and the rice has absorbed the liquid.
  8. Turn the heat up to high for 1–2 minutes, until you hear the rice crackle. This creates the crispy socarrat.
  9. Take the pan off the heat, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 5 minutes. Discard any mussels that haven’t opened, then serve with lemon wedges and parsley.

Tips for Perfect Paella

  • Use the right rice. Bomba or Calasparra rice absorbs lots of liquid while staying firm. Arborio works in a pinch but gets creamier.
  • Never stir after adding the stock. Stirring releases starch and stops the socarrat from forming.
  • Spread the heat. If your pan is bigger than your burner, rotate it every few minutes so the rice cooks evenly.
  • Keep the stock hot so the rice starts cooking right away.
Views: 42