Classic Seafood Paella
The socarrat — that prized crispy, caramelized layer of rice stuck to the bottom of the pan — only forms if you resist stirring the rice once the liquid goes in.
Serves
6
Prep
25 minutes
Cook
45 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
- 4 cups (960ml) seafood or chicken stock, warm
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (shells reserved)
- 1 pound mussels, scrubbed and debearded
- 8 ounces squid, cleaned and sliced into rings (optional)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tomatoes, grated (skins discarded) or 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 cups Bomba or short-grain Spanish rice (do not substitute long-grain)
- 1 cup frozen peas
- Salt, to taste
- Lemon wedges and chopped parsley, for serving
Instructions
- 1
Steep the saffron threads in the warm stock for at least 10 minutes to release their color and flavor. If you have shrimp shells, simmer them in the stock for 10 minutes first, then strain, for extra depth.
- 2
Heat the olive oil in a large paella pan or wide, shallow skillet (at least 14 inches) over medium-high heat.
- 3
Season the shrimp with salt and sear briefly, about 1 minute per side, just until starting to turn pink. Remove and set aside — they'll finish cooking later.
- 4
In the same pan, add the onion and bell pepper and cook until softened, 6–7 minutes.
- 5
Add the garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- 6
Add the grated tomatoes and smoked paprika, and cook, stirring, for 5–7 minutes, until the mixture (called the sofrito) darkens and thickens into a jammy paste.
- 7
Add the rice and stir for 1–2 minutes to coat every grain in the sofrito.
- 8
Pour in the warm saffron stock and stir once to distribute everything evenly. From this point forward, do not stir the rice again — stirring paella releases starch and turns it creamy like risotto, when the goal is separate, distinct grains with a crispy bottom.
- 9
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Nestle the mussels into the rice, hinge-side down, and scatter the squid rings over the top.
- 10
Cook uncovered, without stirring, for 15–18 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is nearly tender, rotating the pan occasionally for even heat if your burner doesn't cover the whole pan.
- 11
In the last 5 minutes, nestle the seared shrimp and frozen peas into the rice.
- 12
Once the liquid is fully absorbed and the rice is tender (taste a grain from the center to check), increase the heat to medium-high for the final 1–2 minutes to develop the socarrat — listen for a light crackling sound, and check that it's browning, not burning, by lifting an edge with a spoon.
- 13
Remove from heat, cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel, and let rest for 5 minutes.
- 14
Discard any mussels that didn't open. Garnish with parsley and serve directly from the pan with lemon wedges.
Chef's Tip — Use a wide, shallow pan rather than a deep pot — paella needs a thin layer of rice with maximum surface contact with the pan to develop the socarrat properly.
Just $5/month. Cancel the takeout order instead. 🍟
More Seafood Mains
New England Clam Chowder
Building a proper roux and cooking the potatoes directly in the clam broth (not water) is what gives this chowder its full flavor from the very base up.
Pan-Seared Salmon with Lemon Butter Sauce
Starting the salmon skin-side down in a hot, dry pan and leaving it alone is what renders the fat and gets that skin genuinely crisp.
Shrimp Scampi
A classic Italian-American dish built almost entirely on a garlic-butter-wine emulsion — the trick is not overcooking the shrimp, which turns rubbery in seconds.