Paella De Mariscos Recipe

Clean and prep seafood

Rinse clams and mussels under cold water, discard any with broken shells or that don't close when tapped. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails on if desired. Cut monkfish into 2–3 cm chunks. Slice squid tubes into rings and cut sepia/cuttlefish into strips. Pat all seafood dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Bloom saffron

Warm 2 tablespoons of the stock (or warm water) and steep saffron threads in it for 10–15 minutes to release color and aroma.

Grate or finely chop tomatoes, mince garlic, and measure rice and spices so everything is ready.

Heat a wide paella pan or a large shallow skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and when hot, add the chopped onion and diced red bell pepper. Sweat the vegetables gently for 6–8 minutes until softened and translucent but not browned.

Add the minced garlic and smoked paprika; stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the grated tomatoes and cook the sofrito for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reduces and the flavors concentrate. Taste and add a pinch of salt.

Stir in the rice, coating grains in the sofrito and oil for 1–2 minutes so the rice starts to toast slightly. This helps the rice take on flavor.

Pour in the warm seafood stock and the saffron with its soaking liquid. Add the remaining salt (about 1 tsp total; adjust to taste) and the black pepper. Stir once to distribute ingredients evenly, then stop stirring. Increase heat to medium-high to bring to a steady simmer.

Once the stock is simmering, reduce heat to maintain a gentle, even simmer. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes without stirring so the rice begins to absorb liquid and form the beginnings of a socarrat (crispy bottom).

After the initial 10 minutes, nestle the monkfish chunks, sepia/squid strips and squid rings into the rice, distributing evenly. Tuck the shrimp on top so they cook through and show their color. Scatter clams and mussels on top, hinge-side down.

Cover the pan loosely with foil or a lid (or place a large heatproof plate over the paella) and continue cooking on low to medium-low for another 8–10 minutes, or until rice is almost tender and shellfish have opened and shrimp are opaque. Avoid lifting the cover frequently.

If the liquid is absorbed before the rice is tender, add a few tablespoons of hot stock as needed. If there is excess liquid and rice is cooked, increase heat for 1–2 minutes to encourage a socarrat but watch carefully to prevent burning.

When shellfish have opened (discard any that remain closed) and rice is tender, remove pan from heat. Let rest for 5 minutes covered to allow flavors to settle.

Spoon salsa verde or scatter chopped parsley over the paella, arrange lemon wedges around the pan, and serve family-style straight from the pan.

Offer extra olive oil and lemon for squeezing. Enjoy hot.