If you love cooking International food, you will fall in love with this comforting Spanish dish!
Seafood Paella is a vibrant and flavorful Spanish dish that showcases a tantalizing blend of rice, saffron, and an assortment of fresh seafood. Originating from the coastal regions of Valencia, this iconic dish is traditionally cooked in a wide, shallow pan, allowing the rice to develop a crispy layer at the bottom known as “socarrat.”
The star ingredients of Seafood Paella include a variety of shellfish like shrimp, mussels, and clams, along with fish and squid. The dish is seasoned with aromatic herbs and spices, with saffron lending its distinct golden hue and unique flavor to the rice. Other additions you may want to add include tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and garlic, which will contribute to the rich and savory profile.
Seafood Paella is not only a visual feast with its vibrant colors but also a culinary delight that captures the essence of coastal living. Its combination of fresh seafood, fragrant rice, and aromatic spices makes it a delicious and celebratory dish, perfect for gatherings and special occasions.
Seafood Paella
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 roma tomatoes very finely diced
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 tsp paprika sweet or smoked
- 1 pinch saffron threads
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into pieces
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley divided
- 2 cups Spanish rice
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 pound jumbo shrimp or prawns Approx. 12, peeled with tail on
- 1/2 pound mussels Approx. 10-12, cleaned/no beard
- 8 oz calamari rings
- fresh lemons for garnish
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell peppers and garlic and cook until onion is translucent. Add chopped tomato, bay leaf, paprika, saffron salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add white wine and cook for 10 minutes. Taste and add salt if needed.
- Add chicken pieces, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley and rice to the pot. Cook for 1 minute.
- Pour the broth slowly all around the pan and jiggle the pan to get the rice into an even layer.
- Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Give the pan a gentle shake back and forth just once or twice during cooking (don't stir the rice again, a crispy crust will form at the bottom, called a socarrat).
- Cook for about 15-18 minutes (uncovered), then nestle the shrimp, mussels and calamari into the mixture, sprinkle peas on top and continue to cook (without stirring) for about 5 more minutes. Watch for most of the liquid to be absorbed and the rice at the top nearly tender. (If for some reason your rice is still not cooked, add ¼ cup more water or broth and continue cooking).
- Remove pan from heat and cover pan with a lid or tinfoil. Place a kitchen towel over the lid and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon slices, serve, and enjoy.