Entrée: Spain – Paella de Mariscos (Seafood Paella)

Serving Size: 6

Approximate Time

Prep 25 min

Cook 35 min

Additional 10 min

Total 1 hr 10 min

Ingredients

2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium ripe tomatoes, grated or 1 cup (240 ml) canned crushed tomatoes
1 1 / 2 cups (270 g) bomba or calasparra rice or 1 1 / 4 cups (250 g) arborio rice
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika (pimentón)
Pinch of saffron threads (about 1 / 2 tsp loosely packed)
4 cups (960 ml) seafood or fish stock, kept hot
1 / 2 cup (120 ml) dry white wine
12 large shrimp, about 3/4 lb (340 g), peeled and deveined, tails on
1 / 2 lb (225 g) calamari, cleaned and cut into rings (tentacles included)
1 lb (450 g) mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1 lb (450 g) littleneck clams, scrubbed (optional, or use more mussels)
1 cup (150 g) peas (fresh or thawed frozen)
2 tbsp (30 ml) chopped fresh parsley
Lemon wedges, for serving
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Warm the stock: In a small pot, combine the seafood stock and saffron. Bring just to a simmer, then keep hot over very low heat.
Prep seafood: Pat shrimp and calamari dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. Discard any mussels or clams with cracked shells or that remain open when tapped.
Heat pan: Set a 13–15 inch paella pan or wide shallow skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil.
Sear shrimp: Add shrimp and sear 45–60 seconds per side until just pink on the surface. Transfer to a plate.
Sear calamari: Add calamari and cook 30–60 seconds until opaque. Transfer to the plate with shrimp.
Make sofrito: Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and bell pepper; cook 5–6 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and smoked paprika; cook 4–6 minutes until thick and jammy. Season with salt and pepper.
Toast rice: Add rice to the pan and stir to coat, toasting 1–2 minutes until the grains look slightly translucent around the edges.
Deglaze: Pour in the white wine and simmer 1–2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits, until mostly reduced.
Add stock and simmer: Pour in the hot saffron stock; stir once to distribute rice evenly, then do not stir again. Adjust heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes.
Add shellfish: Nestle mussels and clams hinge-side down into the rice. Continue simmering 8–10 minutes, rotating the pan as needed for even cooking. If the pan looks dry before the rice is nearly tender, add a little more hot stock or water.
Finish with seafood and peas: Arrange shrimp and calamari on top and sprinkle over the peas. Cook 5–7 minutes until shrimp are opaque, shellfish are open (discard any that remain closed), and the rice is al dente with most liquid absorbed.
Form the socarrat: Increase heat to medium-high for 1–2 minutes until you hear faint crackling and smell a toasty aroma from the bottom. Do not stir; avoid burning.
Rest: Remove from heat, tent loosely with foil, and rest 5–10 minutes to finish steaming.
Garnish and serve: Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges. Present directly from the pan.