Valencia-Style Seafood Paella

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A classic coastal paella loaded with shrimp, mussels, clams, and squid, perfumed with saffron and smoked paprika over a bed of short-grain rice. The signature crispy bottom crust, called socarrat, is what separates a great paella from a merely good one. Bring the whole pan to the table and let everyone dig in family-style.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 540 kcalCalories
• 16 gFat
• 2.5 gSaturated Fat
• 62 gCarbs
• 3 gFiber
• 5 gSugar
• 32 gProtein
• 820 mgSodium
• 720 mgPotassium
• 110 mgCalcium
• 5 mgIron
• 28 mgVitamin C
• 480 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the rice base

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 ripe tomato, grated (or 1/2 cup canned crushed tomato)
• 2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika (pimentón dulce)
• 1 1/2 cups Spanish short-grain rice (Bomba or Calasparra)
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, bloomed in 2 tablespoons warm water
• 3 1/2 cups hot fish or seafood stock
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 cup flat Romano green beans, trimmed

For the seafood

• 1/2 pound cleaned squid, bodies sliced into rings
• 12 large shell-on shrimp, heads optional
• 1 pound mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• 1 pound small littleneck clams, scrubbed

For finishing

• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons roasted piquillo pepper strips (optional)

Directions

1. Warm the olive oil in a 14-inch paella pan or wide skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper; cook for 6 to 7 minutes until softened and lightly caramelized.
2. Stir in the garlic, grated tomato, and smoked paprika; cook for 2 minutes until the tomato reduces and darkens into a thick paste (the sofrito).
3. Add the rice and stir to coat every grain in the sofrito; toast for about 2 minutes. Pour in the hot stock along with the bloomed saffron, season with salt, scatter the green beans, and gently shake the pan to level the rice. Do not stir again from this point.
4. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes, then reduce to medium-low and continue cooking 8 to 10 minutes until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid and looks nearly dry at the surface.
5. Nestle the squid into the rice now, then arrange the shrimp, mussels, and clams hinge-side up on top. Cover loosely with foil and cook 6 to 8 minutes until the shrimp turn pink and the mussel and clam shells have popped open. Discard any shellfish that remain closed.
6. To develop the socarrat, uncover, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook 60 to 90 seconds, listening for a faint crackle and smelling toasted rice. Do not stir.
7. Remove from the heat, tent loosely with a clean kitchen towel, and rest for 5 minutes so the rice finishes steaming and the crust firms up.
8. Scatter parsley and roasted pepper strips over the top, arrange lemon wedges around the edge, and carry the pan straight to the table.

Cook’s Notes

• Resist the urge to stir once the stock goes in; stirring releases starch and prevents socarrat from forming on the bottom.
• Use the widest pan you own – paella is about maximizing the surface area so the rice cooks in a thin, even layer.
• Real saffron is non-negotiable for both flavor and color; turmeric will muddy the taste and look.
• Bomba rice absorbs up to three times its volume in liquid without turning mushy, which is why it is the traditional choice.
• Stagger the seafood by size: bury the squid early so it stays tender, and add shrimp and bivalves only at the end so they stay juicy.

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