Description
Paella is Spain’s gift to the dinner table — saffron-tinted rice cooked in a wide pan until the bottom develops the socarrat, that coveted layer of toasted, caramelized rice that Spaniards fight over. Piled high with shrimp, mussels, clams, and chorizo, this is a communal dish meant to be set in the center of the table and eaten straight from the pan.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1/2 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 lb littleneck clams, scrubbed
- 1/2 lb mussels, scrubbed and debearded
- 4 ounces Spanish chorizo, sliced into half-moons
- 2 cups bomba or Arborio rice
- 4 cups warm seafood or chicken stock
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Steep the saffron threads in the warm stock for at least 10 minutes.
- Heat olive oil in a 14-inch paella pan or large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the shrimp 1 minute per side until just pink. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, cook the chorizo 2 minutes until the fat renders. Add the onion and bell pepper, cooking 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Stir in the drained tomatoes and paprika, cooking 2 minutes until the tomatoes darken slightly.
- Add the rice and stir to coat every grain in the oil and tomato mixture. Cook 1 minute.
- Pour in the saffron-infused stock and salt. Stir once to distribute the rice evenly, then do not stir again. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a medium simmer.
- After 10 minutes, nestle the clams and mussels into the rice, hinge-side down. Scatter the peas on top. Continue cooking without stirring for 8 to 10 more minutes until the liquid is absorbed.
- Arrange the seared shrimp on top. Cover loosely with foil and cook 3 more minutes until the shellfish opens and the shrimp is heated through.
- Increase heat to medium-high for the last 2 minutes to develop the socarrat — listen for a faint crackling sound. Remove from heat, cover with a clean towel, and rest 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley and lemon wedges.
Notes
- Never stir the rice once the stock is added — stirring releases starch and turns paella into risotto.
- The socarrat is the entire point. That crusty, caramelized bottom layer requires high heat at the end and the courage not to check on it constantly.
- Bomba rice is traditional and absorbs nearly three times its volume in liquid without getting mushy. Arborio works as a substitute but the texture will be slightly different.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Spanish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 880
- Fat: 14
- Carbohydrates: 56
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 32
- Cholesterol: 120