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Spain, Europe

Seafood Paella

A Spanish dish of rice cooked in saffron stock in a wide pan, with a prized crispy crust on the bottom.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time45 min
DifficultyMedium

Method

  1. Steep the saffron in 3 tbsp of warm stock for 10 minutes.

    Add in this stepSaffron (or ½ tsp turmeric) 1 pinch

  2. Heat olive oil in a 26 cm pan and sear the shrimp over medium-high heat for 1 minute on each side. Set aside.

    Add in this stepOlive oil 2 tbspShrimp (prawns) 4

    medium-high heat

  3. In the same pan, fry the squid, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Add the grated tomato and paprika and cook down over medium heat for .

    Add in this stepSquid 100 gOnion 50 gRed bell pepper ½Minced garlic 1½ tspGrated tomato 75 gSmoked paprika ½ tsp

    medium heat

  4. Add the rice and stir over medium heat for 2 minutes to coat it. Pour in the stock, saffron water and salt and spread the rice evenly. Do not stir from now on.

    Add in this stepRice (bomba or medium-grain, unwashed) 150 gSeafood stock 500 mlSalt ½ tsp

    medium heat

  5. Cook over high heat for , then over medium-low heat for . Place the mussels and shrimp on top and cook 5 more minutes. For the last minute, turn the heat to high to form the crispy bottom crust (socarrat). Turn off the heat, cover with foil and rest for 5 minutes.

    Add in this stepMussels 6Lemon ½

    high heat→medium-low heat

Cook's tip

The right pan size for your servings matters most. The rice layer should be 1 to 1.5 cm deep to cook evenly. A crackling sound from the bottom means the crust is forming.

Cooking it at camp

Set a paella pan or large cast-iron pan over a two-burner stove or charcoal. If the heat is uneven, turn the pan 90 degrees every 5 minutes.