Seafood Paella
Paella is a dish where the main skill is leaving it alone: once the stock goes in, we don’t stir the rice again. That’s how the socarrat forms, a thin caramelised crust on the bottom that people in Spain fight over at the table. We use bomba rice, which soaks up lots of stock without turning mushy.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Rest
- 5 min
- Total
- 1 h 10 min
- Servings
- 6
- Level
- Challenging
- Per serving
- 470 kcal
Ingredients
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What to use instead
No bomba? Use risotto rice but cut the stock to 1 litre, as it absorbs less liquid and turns soft more easily.
Makes: 36–38 cm pan, 6 servings
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Steep the saffron
Crumble the saffron into a cup and pour over 3 tbsp hot stock. Leave for 10 minutes until the liquid is a vivid orange.
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Step 2: Sear the prawns
Heat the oil in the paella pan over high heat. Sear the prawns for 1 minute per side until pink and move them to a plate; they’re still raw inside and will finish later.
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Step 3: Build the sofrito
Lower the heat to medium. Cook the finely chopped onion and pepper for 6–7 minutes, add the squid for 3 minutes, then the garlic for 1 more. Add the grated tomatoes and cook down for 5 minutes into a thick, dark paste, then stir in the paprika.
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Step 4: Add the rice
Add the rice and stir for 1–2 minutes so every grain is coated in the sofrito.
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Step 5: Pour in the stock
Pour in the hot stock and saffron liquid, add the salt and shake the pan to spread the rice evenly. Taste the broth: it should be well seasoned. From now on, don’t stir.
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Step 6: Cook without stirring
Cook for 10 minutes over high heat, then lower to medium-low. If the pan is bigger than your burner, rotate it every few minutes so the rice cooks evenly.
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Step 7: Add mussels and prawns
About 13–14 minutes in, press the mussels into the rice hinge side down and add the prawns. Cook for another 5–7 minutes until the mussels open and the prawns turn opaque. Discard any mussels that stay closed.
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Step 8: Make the socarrat
Once the liquid is fully absorbed, turn up the heat for 1–2 minutes. You’ll hear a gentle crackle and smell toasting rice; that’s the socarrat. Don’t push it: a burnt smell means stop.
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Step 9: Rest and serve
Cover the paella with a clean tea towel for 5 minutes. Serve straight from the pan with lemon wedges and parsley.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Tap each mussel on the counter before cooking: open ones that don’t close are not fresh and must be thrown away. Pull off the beards and scrub the shells under cold water.
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Swap
No bomba? Use risotto rice but cut the stock to 1 litre, as it absorbs less liquid and turns soft more easily.
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Variation
For a mixed paella, brown 300 g chicken thigh pieces at the start and add them back with the rice.
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Storage
Paella is best eaten straight away. Keep leftovers, with the mussels taken out of their shells, in the fridge for up to 1 day.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 6 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 470 kcal | 2,820 kcal |
| Protein | 26 g | 156 g |
| Fat | 14 g | 84 g |
| Carbohydrates | 58 g | 348 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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