Spanish seafood paella dish (Print)

Saffron rice with shrimp, mussels, clams, and colorful bell peppers.

# Components:

→ Seafood

01 - 12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
02 - 12 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
03 - 12 clams, scrubbed

→ Rice

04 - 1 1/2 cups short-grain paella rice (e.g., Bomba or Arborio)

→ Aromatics & Vegetables

05 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
06 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
07 - 1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1 medium tomato, grated or finely chopped

→ Broth & Seasonings

10 - 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
11 - 4 cups fish or seafood stock
12 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
14 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
15 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Garnish

16 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
17 - Lemon wedges, for serving

# Directions:

01 - Warm the fish or seafood stock in a saucepan and infuse with saffron threads. Keep warm over low heat.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large paella pan or wide skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion for 2 minutes, then add garlic and cook until fragrant.
03 - Add the red and green bell peppers and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly softened. Stir in the tomato and cook until most liquid has evaporated.
04 - Add the rice, stirring to coat evenly with oil and vegetables. Sprinkle smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper over the mixture.
05 - Pour the warm saffron-infused stock over the rice, distributing it evenly. Avoid stirring from this point forward.
06 - Position the shrimp, mussels, and clams atop the rice. Cover loosely with foil or a lid and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 to 25 minutes until the rice is tender and shellfish have opened, discarding any unopened shells.
07 - Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
08 - Sprinkle chopped parsley over the dish and serve with lemon wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The saffron transforms simple rice into something that tastes like you've been cooking for hours, when really you've barely spent any time in the kitchen.
  • It's one of those dishes that looks impossibly impressive when people gather around the table, but the technique is surprisingly forgiving once you know the secret.
  • You can feed four people with something genuinely special without needing a second mortgage or spending your whole evening in prep work.
02 -
  • Do not stir the rice once the stock is added—this goes against every instinct, but stirring breaks the rice grains and creates starch, turning your paella into risotto instead of the distinct, separate grains you're after.
  • That sizzle sound from the bottom of the pan is not your paella burning, it's the socarrat, the slightly crispy rice layer that's supposed to be there and makes people ask for seconds.
  • Any mussels or clams that don't open after cooking should be thrown away without guilt—it means they were already dead or unable to open, and there's no recovering that.
03 -
  • If your stock is cool when you add it, the cooking time will stretch out and the rice might end up undercooked—keep it warm throughout, and your timing will be reliable.
  • A paella pan with slightly sloped sides makes it easier to arrange the seafood and lets the heat distribute more evenly than a regular skillet, but any wide, shallow pan will work if that's what you have.
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