Saffron Seafood Paella
A culinary journey to the heart of Spain with this generous seafood paella, infused with saffron and cooked to perfection. The rice absorbs all the flavors of the sea for a festive dish that makes a sensation at the table.
🛒 Ingredients
4 servings
- 2 cups paella rice (Bomba or Calasparra type)
- 10.5 oz whole raw shrimp
- 10.5 oz fresh cleaned mussels
- 7 oz squid cut into rings
- 7 oz clams or cockles
- 1 red bell pepper cut into strips
- 1 green bell pepper cut into strips
- 1 ripe tomato, grated
- 1 medium onion, finely minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4.2 cups hot seafood broth
- 6 fl oz dry white wine
- 1 generous pinch saffron threads
- 1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges for serving
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish
Watch the original video
Watch on TikTokDirections
- 1
Infuse the saffron in 3 tablespoons of hot broth for 10 minutes to release its full color and aroma.
- 2
Heat the olive oil in a paella pan (or a large, heavy-bottomed skillet) over medium-high heat. Sear the shrimp for 1 minute per side until pink, then set aside.
- 3
In the same pan, sauté the squid rings for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly browned. Set aside with the shrimp.
- 4
Reduce heat to medium and sweat the onion and garlic in the pan for 5 minutes until translucent. Add the bell peppers and cook for another 5 minutes.
- 5
Stir in the grated tomato and smoked paprika. Mix and cook for 3 minutes to create a concentrated sofrito.
- 6
Add the dry rice and toast for 2 minutes, stirring well to coat it with the sofrito.
- 7
Pour in the white wine, let it evaporate for 1 minute, then add the hot broth with the infused saffron. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.
- 8
Arrange the mussels and clams over the rice, reduce heat to medium, and cook without stirring for 18 to 20 minutes, until the broth is almost completely absorbed.
- 9
Arrange the reserved shrimp and squid over the paella during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
- 10
At the end of cooking, increase the heat slightly for 1 to 2 minutes to form the socarrat (crispy crust at the bottom). Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes off the heat.
- 11
Serve directly from the pan, garnished with fresh parsley and accompanied by lemon wedges.
💡 Chef's Tip
The secret to a true paella lies in two essential points: never stir the rice during cooking (unlike risotto) to allow the socarrat to form, and use homemade seafood broth made with shrimp shells—this is what gives it that incomparable depth of flavor.
