Paella-Spanish Seafood Rice One-Pan Feast

Spanish Coastal Celebration

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 40 minutes | Serves: 6-8 people

Ingredients:

For the Paella:

• 3 cups Spanish short-grain rice (Bomba or Calasparra)
• 6 cups seafood or chicken stock, warm
• Large pinch of saffron threads (about 1 tsp)
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 lb mussels, cleaned and debearded
• 1 lb clams, scrubbed
• ½ lb squid, cleaned and sliced
• 1 lb chicken thighs, cut into pieces (optional)
• ½ lb Spanish chorizo, sliced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 large tomatoes, grated
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Lemon wedges for serving
• Fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions:

1. Prepare Saffron: Steep saffron in ¼ cup warm stock. Set aside.
2. Brown Proteins: In a paella pan or a large, wide skillet, heat ¼ cup of olive oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt. Brown chicken pieces 5 minutes per side. Remove. Brown chorizo slices. Remove.
3. Sauté Vegetables: Add remaining oil. Cook onion and bell pepper 5 minutes until soft. Add garlic, cook 1 minute. Add grated tomato and paprika, cook 3 minutes until reduced.
4. Toast Rice: Add rice to the pan, stir to coat with oil and vegetables. Toast 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Add Liquid: Pour in wine, let it evaporate. Add warm stock and saffron with its liquid. Stir well. Arrange chicken and chorizo on top. Bring to a boil.
6. Simmer: Reduce heat to medium-low. DO NOT STIR from this point. Let simmer 15 minutes.
7. Add Seafood: Nestle shrimp into rice. Arrange mussels and clams hinge-side down. Add squid and peas. Cook for 10 minutes without stirring, until the shells open and the shrimp turn pink.
8. Create Socarrat: Increase the heat to medium-high for 2-3 minutes to create a crispy bottom layer (socarrat). Listen for a crackling sound. Remove from heat.
9. Rest: Cover the pan with foil. Let rest 5-10 minutes.
10. Serve: Garnish with parsley and lemon wedges. Serve directly from the pan!

Chef’s Tips:

• ✨ Don’t stir after adding liquid – this creates perfect texture
• ✨ Socarrat (crispy bottom) is the prize – don’t skip this step!
• ✨ Use a wide, shallow pan for the best results
• ✨ Discard any mussels or clams that don’t open

Nutrition (per serving): 650 calories | 42g protein | 68g carbs | 22g fat