Spanish Seafood Paella Delight (Printable Version)

A vibrant saffron rice dish with shrimp, mussels, clams, and sweet peppers, bringing festive Spanish flavors.

# What You Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
02 - 12 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
03 - 12 clams, scrubbed

→ Rice

04 - 1 1/2 cups short-grain paella rice (e.g., Bomba or Arborio)

→ Aromatics & Vegetables

05 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
06 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
07 - 1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1 medium tomato, grated or finely chopped

→ Broth & Seasonings

10 - 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
11 - 4 cups fish or seafood stock
12 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
14 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
15 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Garnish

16 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
17 - Lemon wedges, for serving

# How to Make It:

01 - Warm fish or seafood stock in a saucepan and infuse with saffron threads; keep warm over low heat.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large paella pan or wide skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion for 2 minutes, then add garlic and cook until fragrant.
03 - Add red and green bell peppers and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly softened. Stir in the tomato and continue cooking until most liquid evaporates.
04 - Add rice to the pan, stirring to coat with oil and vegetables. Sprinkle smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper over the mixture.
05 - Pour warm saffron-infused stock evenly over the rice. Do not stir after adding the liquid.
06 - Place shrimp, mussels, and clams atop the rice. Cover loosely and cook over medium-low heat for 20 to 25 minutes until rice is tender and shellfish have opened. Discard any unopened mussels or clams.
07 - Remove from heat and let the dish rest, covered, for 5 minutes.
08 - Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks absolutely stunning when you bring it to the table, which somehow makes everything taste better.
  • The saffron does the heavy lifting flavor-wise, so you can focus on technique instead of fussing with a million spices.
  • Cooking it all in one pan means less cleanup and more time enjoying the meal with people you care about.
02 -
  • Once you pour in that stock, you cannot stir again—the bottom forms a slightly crispy layer called socarrat that people actually wait for, and stirring destroys it.
  • Any mussels or clams that don't open after cooking are dead and shouldn't be eaten, so toss them without guilt.
03 -
  • A paella pan is ideal, but a wide, shallow skillet works just fine—what matters is the surface area so the rice cooks evenly.
  • The socarrat (that crispy rice layer on the bottom) is a feature, not a bug; it's actually the best part if you don't let it burn into charcoal.
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