Seafood Paella

Published on June 11, 2020 | By
seafood paella

My first introduction to paella was on the eastern coast of Spain in Valencia. The fragrant smell of a fresh seafood paella being cooked over a wood fire on the beach overlooking the Mediterranean Sea was an unforgettable culinary moment. Could life possibly be more perfect?

Historically, paella was a simple farmer’s lunch made with short grain rice known as “bomba,” and whatever proteins and vegetables happened to be available. The traditional Spanish paella was not made with seafood which didn’t come about until recent years. The traditional paella included rabbit or chicken, snails, onions, garlic, beans and saffron. There are as many variations of paella as there are of Louisiana gumbo.

Paella can be cooked on a stove top, baked in the oven, cooked on the grill, or of course, over a wood fire. It is essential to use a shallow flat bottomed pan. The name paella is derived from a word that refers to this particular pan.

If you are thinking that you cannot make paella because you do not have the proper pan or the bomba rice, think again. In my recipe, I will suggest ways that you can modify paella and still achieve the flavors and textures that you would even if you had all of this special equipment and ingredients.

It is important to break down the recipe. Paella is simply a braised rice dish with seasonings, (onions, garlic, saffron and smoked paprika) proteins of your choice, and vegetables. It takes some time to prep the ingredients, however, once you have these ingredients chopped, minced, sliced and sautéed, it becomes a simple matter of assembly.

I prefer to cook my paella on the grill. The heat on your grill must be maintained at 350-400 degrees for at least 45 minutes. I have cooked this on a propane grill, an electric grill and on the green egg. I have also baked it in the oven and cooked it on a stovetop. I have used a wide cast iron skillet, a disposable foil pan, and a paella pan. Most importantly, one must be patient and cook the paella enough to achieve the crusty bottom layer of rice which is known as the “socarrat. ” I do not achieve this goal every time but when I do it is heaven and the ultimate reward at the bottom of the pan, much like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!

seafood paella

    • Prep Time
    • Minutes
    • Cook Time
    • Minutes

Ingredients

  • 24 medium shrimp, peeled and precooked
  • 1 lb of chorizo, sliced
  • 6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cooked and cut into bite sized pieces
  • 2 dozen mussels, cleaned and debearded or 11/2 lbs of firm white fish
  • 2 cups of bomba paella rice or arborio rice
  • 4 cups of broth, either chicken or seafood or a combination of both
  • 2/3 cup of dry sherry or dry white wine
  • 1 tsp of saffron
  • 3 tsp tomato paste
  • 5 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 cup shelled and cooked edamame or 1 cup of green beans, blanched
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 1/2 red, yellow or orange bell peppers, seeded and cut into thin strips
  • 2 roma tomatoes, quartered
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup of parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
  • 4 TBSP olive oil
  • 2 lemons, quartered

Instructions

  1. Begin by making the seasoned broth. My preference is to use shrimp stock. If you do not have any handy or the time to make it, chicken broth is fine. In a deep dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
  2. Sauté the minced garlic in the oil. Do not allow the garlic to brown. Add tomato paste, and paprika and stir for another minute. Then add the broth, sherry and saffron. Bring the broth to a slow steady simmer and continue to simmer for about 30 minutes. Season the broth as needed with salt and pepper. You may also elect to add a few red pepper flakes to give the paella a little zip. Set aside.
  3. Next, cook the shrimp, chicken and sausage. Heat a couple of TBSP of olive oil in a skillet. Sauté the shrimp briefly until pink. Remove from skillet and set aside.
  4. Wipe out the skillet. Cut the chicken thighs into bite sized pieces. Coat chicken pieces with a small amount of olive oil, salt and pepper. Sauté the chicken in a skillet over medium to high heat until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.
  5. If using mussels, clean them by scrubbing them and debearding. Set aside. If using fish, cut the fish fillets into bite sized pieces and set aside.
  6. Cut the chorizo into 1/2" slices. Sauté the chorizo in the paella pan or shallow pan that you will be using to assemble and cook the paella. The pan must be deep enough to hold the rice, the meats and vegetables, and the broth. The sausage will release fat and juices. Once the sausage is lightly browned, remove. Add the onions and pepper strips and cook them in this oil until soft.
  7. Add paella rice and mix well with onions and peppers. Cook for 3 minutes. Pour in saffron broth. Mix in chorizo and chicken pieces.
  8. It is best not to disturb or stir the rice again during the cooking process. We like to cook the paella in a traditional paella pan or a disposable 1/2 size foil pan on the grill. The heat should be maintained at 350-400 degrees.
  9. About 15 minutes before the paella is cooked, add the mussels if using. Push the mussels hinge side down into the rice so they will get hot and open. If you choose to use fish, add the pieces now. Add edamame or beans and shrimp. Place tomato quarters on top of the paella mixture. DO NOT STIR.
  10. Close the top of the grill and allow to cook for another 15 minutes. If the paella appears to be too dry or the rice is not cooked, you can add a little more liquid.
  11. When the paella is done, remove from the grill. Cover the pan with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. When ready to serve, sprinkle chopped parsley on top of paella and garnish with lemon slices. Encourage your guests to squeeze the fresh lemons over the paella. The lemon juice makes the paella come alive!!!
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