Seafood Paella recipe - A Spanish rice recipe

Seafood Paella Recipe comes from Spain. In fact paella is a very famous rice dish from Spain and is known to have originated in Valencia. These days there are many variations of paella not just in Spain but throughout the world.

To be honest, how does it even matter as long as you make a tasty dish in the end. There are a few key ingredients which should be kept as they are to maintain the overall flavor of the recipe, like saffron (which gives a nice color and flavor to dish), smoked Spanish paprika and olive oil.

Other than that you can use any ingredients you want like chicken, rabbit, pork, shellfish, fish, squid, beans, peas, peppers or chorizo.

For best results, use a medium-grain rice rather than a long grain rice, as they absorb a lot of liquid, which makes it good for paella.

A paella is prepared on a outdoor big stove in a paella pan known as "paellera". This is a large, flat, open round steel pan with handles. The reason to use this pan is so that the heat should get distributed evenly. First, the flame is very high in order to brown the meat, then it should be low to simmer the rice.

How to make a seafood paella recipe if you don't have a paella pan or paella stove?

That can be a bit tricky but the best solution is to use a skillet (a large one, preferably stainless steel or aluminum).

If you don't have any of this take any large flat bottom pan for the rice and use some other vessels to do the browning of meat etc. So do the other bits and bobs in separate pans and then add everything, with the rice and stock in this large flat bottom pan. Seafood needs to be cooked separately anyway. Read the recipe and you will understand what I am trying to say.

This seafood paella recipe will serve 4-6 and consists of seafood as well as chicken. You can use only seafood, in that case include squids (cut up in rings). The ingredients I have chosen makes this recipe fairly hot, tangy and spicy. Alter the ingredients to suit your taste.

The Ingredients required for a seafood paella recipe are as follows

• 6-7 Tbsp Extra virgin Olive oil (or more)
• 5-6 Chicken thighs
• About 150 gm Chorizo (Thinly sliced, you can use smoked ham instead or none at all)
• 1 large Onion (chopped)
• 4 Tomatoes (peeled, deseeded and chopped)
• 6-7 Cloves of Garlic (chopped)
• 1 Tsp of Saffron strands soaked in 1/4 cup of warm water
• 4 cups medium grain Rice
• 10 cups Chicken Stock (fish stock or plain water)
• 1 red and 1 green Pepper (cored and sliced. They add an amazing flavor to this dish)
• About 100 gm Peas (Thaw if using frozen)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Tsp Spanish smoked paprika
• 1 Tsp Spanish hot paprika
• 1 Tsp Cumin powder
• 500 gm Mussels (scrubbed clean)
• 200 gm medium size Prawns (cleaned, deveined and steamed)

To GARNISH

• 10-12 pitted black or green olives
• 6-7 Jumbo Prawns cooked with shell on
• Lemon wedges
• Fresh Parsley chopped

Heat 3-4 Tbsp olive oil in a Paella pan and add the chicken thighs. Cook on a very high flame till brown on all sides. Remove and keep on a plate.

In the same pan top up the oil and saute the onion, garlic with little bit of chopped parsley on a medium flame. When onions become soft, add the tomatoes, little salt, cumin and smoked red paprika, as well as the hot red paprika. Cook till it all becomes soft (for about 5 minutes). Remove this on a plate and keep aside.

Add another Tbsp of oil in the pan and cook the chopped peppers for 4-5 minutes.

Now add the onion-tomato paste back in. Also put the chicken, chorizo and the rice and mix well to coat all the grains. Put in the stock and the saffron along with the water. Give it a quick stir, so that everything mixes well. Add salt and pepper to taste (remember that the rice will absorb the stock and salt).

Bring it to a boil and then simmer until the rice absorbs all the stock. Do not cover the pan and do not stir now. To give an even cooking adjust the pan by moving it on the heat source. This will take about 25-30 minutes, depending on your stove.

If cooking indoors, ensure to use the largest burner of your stove.

Meanwhile steam or boil the prawns after cleaning and deveining. Remove on a plate. Now in the same steamer or sauce pan cook the jumbo prawns with the shell on.

In another sauce pan boil 1 cup of water with little salt and add the mussels. Cover with a lid and cook on a high flame for 4-5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Open the lid and take out the mussels. Discard any that have not opened.

When the rice is cooked, insert (push) these mussels and deveined cooked prawns in the rice and sprinkle some on the top.

Cover the paella pan with a foil and let it stand for 5-10 minutes. Open it again and garnish with the jumbo prawns, lemon wedges, olives and chopped parsley.

Dig in and enjoy your seafood paella recipe!!!!

Tips:-If using a paella pan season it first as you would season a Chinese wok. Wash the pan with soapy water, and dry with a soft cloth immediately. Place it on a stove to warm a little, then rub olive oil on the inside of the pan, using a soft cloth or paper towel.

It is very important to thoroughly clean the pan immediately after each use. Then, before storing it, rub it with olive oil to prevent it from rusting.

Seafood Paella Recipe to more rice recipes

Seafood Paella recipe to more fish recipes

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