Paella

Name: Paella
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 cups Rice; 8 Shrimp; 12 Mussels; 1 Squid; 150 g Chicken thigh; 4 cups Seafood/chicken stock; 0.5 Onion; 0.5 Red bell pepper; 1 Tomato; 3 cloves Garlic; 0.5 cup Peas; 3 tbsp Olive oil; 1 Lemon; 1 pinch Saffron; 1 tsp Smoked paprika; Salt

Spain's iconic rice dish — saffron-stained rice spread thin in a wide pan and cooked down with shrimp, mussels, and squid. The prized 'socarrat' crust forms on the bottom; serve straight from the pan with lemon.

Ingredients

4servings

Rice · short-grain (bomba/Calasparra)2 cups
Shrimp · head-on8
Mussels12
Squid · in rings1
Chicken thigh · optional, bite-size150 g
Seafood/chicken stock · warm4 cups
Onion · chopped0.5
Red bell pepper · sliced0.5
Tomato · grated1
Garlic · minced3 cloves
Peas · optional0.5 cup
Olive oil3 tbsp
Lemon · to serve1
Seasoning
Saffron · steeped in warm stock1 pinch
Smoked paprika · pimenton1 tsp
Salt · to taste

Steps

Steep the saffron in warm stock to draw out its color and aroma. Heat olive oil in a wide paella pan.
Sear the shrimp and squid (and chicken) over high heat just until the outsides color; set aside.
⏲ 3 min
In the same pan, saute the onion, pepper, and garlic, then add the grated tomato and pimenton and reduce to a deep sofrito.
⏲ 5 min
Add the rice and toast 1-2 minutes to coat in oil, then pour in the saffron stock and spread the rice flat. Do not stir from here on.
⏲ 2 min
Simmer over medium heat 10 minutes to reduce the liquid, then arrange the mussels, peas, and seared seafood on top. Cook 8-10 more minutes.
⏲ 18 min
Raise the heat for the last 1-2 minutes to form the socarrat (crisp bottom crust) — a crackle means it's ready. Off the heat, rest 5 minutes, and serve with lemon.
⏲ 5 min

Tips & Variations

Variations

Valenciana: The original from Valencia — chicken, rabbit, and beans instead of seafood.
Mixta: Seafood plus meat together; the common tourist version.
Vegetable paella: Just vegetables — artichokes, peppers, beans.
Arroz negro: Dyed black with squid ink.

Tips

Short-grain rice (bomba) is the standard — it drinks up stock without going mushy; use any short-grain in a pinch.
Never stir once the rice is in — the opposite of risotto; stirring kills the socarrat.
The socarrat (crisp bottom crust) is the prize — make it with high heat at the end, just don't burn it.
Steep the saffron in warm stock first for proper color and aroma.
Use a wide, shallow pan so the rice lies in a thin layer and cooks evenly.

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