Paella is easy to make at home and should be fun and low stress to make. Think of it as a one-pot meal, kind of a risotto that you don’t need to stir! The timing for this recipe is based on using a 14-inch base paella pan set over a gas stovetop burner which cooks the rice, browns and crisps the bottom, and preserves a nice bite to the rice. If you don’t have a paella pan, use a large, shallow pan or two smaller ones, but keep in mind you may need to adjust the amount of liquid and timing. You can always use a fork to test a bit and peek at the bottom to make sure it isn’t burning.
Spanish chorizo is an aged sausage which is different from the Mexican fresh, moist chorizo and has different spicing. Here’s what I used, from Olympia Provisions, available in Bozeman at Joe’s Parkway. Next time I’m going to try the finnocchiona cured sausage from Grotto Meats, the fennel would be delicious with seafood.
For a combination chicken and seafood paella, please see this recipe.
Seafood Paella
Ingredients
Shrimp
- 12 shrimp in shells wild caught Gulf
- salt
- a little olive oil to brown the shrimp
Broth, approximately 4 cups
- 3 cups water
- shells from shrimp
- 1 teaspoon saffron threads very pricey, so use what you can
- 1 14.5-ounce can seafood broth, stock, or clam juice Bar Harbor seafood stock very good, use one can with rest water or
Sofrito
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, sliced or diced
- 1 red or orange bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon paprika or smoked paprika or a blend Spanish preferred
- 3 garlic cloves, minced and mashed with a teaspoon of salt
- 1 sprig rosemary, leaves stripped and chopped
Rice
- 1 pound paella rice (Spanish like Arroz Calasparra, Bomba, or substitute short grain rice like Arborio) about 2½ cups
- ¾ cup white wine
Seafood
- 12 clams, scrubbed under running water
- 12 mussels, scrubbed under running water
- 1 link Spanish or Basque Chorizo, cubed or sliced into rounds or any dry-cured sausage casing peeled if desired
- ½ cup fresh or frozen peas
Garnishes
- Italian parsley leaves, chopped
- roasted red peppers, sliced into thin strips
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Instructions
Shrimp Broth and Shrimp
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Peel and devein the shrimp under a low stream of running water, leaving the tail attached. Save the shells and bring them to boil in 3 cups of water, lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes, then strain broth from the shells.
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Add the saffron to the warm broth and let stand for a few minutes to infuse.
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Add the canned stock and enough water to make 4 cups total broth.
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Add a little olive oil to the paella pan (or skillet) and heat over medium heat. Salt the shrimp, add to the pan, and cook until pink, turning over to get both sides, about 2 or 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and scrape out any remaining bits.
Sofrito (the Onions)
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Heat the olive oil in the paella pan. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for about 5 minutes until onions are translucent. Add the tomato paste, paprika, garlic, salt, and rosemary, stir and cook to develop the flavor, a couple minutes or a few more, it gets better with time just don't burn it.
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Add the rice and stir around to toast for a minute. Add wine and stir to deglaze the pan. Stir in 3¾ cups broth, reserving ¼ cup for adding later. Bring to boil then lower the heat to maintain a low simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring every minute or two.
Rice and Assembling the Paella
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Get rice in an even layer, arrange the browned shrimp, raw clams, raw mussels, and chorizo slices or cubes on top of the rice. Continue to cook (low simmer) for 15 minutes. You want the heat high enough to crisp the bottom and cook the rice, but not so high as to burn the rice—take a peek and taste using a fork. Add the reserved broth (1/4 cup) if things look dry.
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Add the peas during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
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Remove from heat, cover with foil and let stand 10 minutes before serving. If desired, garnish with parsley, roasted red pepper strips, and serve with lemon wedges.
