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Paella With Seafood Recipe

Name: Cafe Jote - Authentic Ethiopian Coffee and Cuisines Paella With Seafood Recipe
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil; 2 cups Spanish short-grain rice (Bomba or Calasparra); 1 cup yellow onion, finely diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 cup red bell pepper, julienned; 1 whole tomato, grated (or 1/2 cup crushed canned tomatoes); 1 tsp smoked paprika (pimentón); 1 pinch saffron threads; 1 tsp sweet paprika; 1.5 tsp fine sea salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 5 cups low-sodium fish or seafood stock (hot); 0.5 cups dry white wine; 1 whole bay leaf; 1 whole lemon, zested and cut into wedges; 12 pieces large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails on optional); 8 oz fresh squid rings or small squid, cleaned; 1 lb mussels, scrubbed and debearded; 0.5 lb clams, scrubbed; 0.5 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped; 0.5 cup frozen peas (optional); 1 tbs butter (optional, for finish); 4 pieces lemon wedges (from above)

Inspired by Cafe Jote - Authentic Ethiopian Coffee and Cuisine

Time1h

Serves4

Make Paella With Seafood Recipe in just 1h . Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.

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Ingredients

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Paella base

3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups Spanish short-grain rice (Bomba or Calasparra)

1 cup yellow onion, finely diced

4 cloves Garlic, minced

1 cup red bell pepper, julienned

1 whole tomato, grated (or 1/2 cup crushed canned tomatoes)

1 tsp smoked paprika (pimentón)

1 pinch saffron threads

1 tsp sweet paprika

1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Stock & aromatics

5 cups low-sodium fish or seafood stock (hot)

1/2 cups dry white wine

1 whole bay leaf

1 whole lemon, zested and cut into wedges

Seafood & proteins

12 pieces large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails on optional)

8 oz fresh squid rings or small squid, cleaned

1 lb mussels, scrubbed and debearded

1/2 lb clams, scrubbed

Finishes & garnish

1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1/2 cup frozen peas (optional)

1 tbs butter (optional, for finish)

4 pieces lemon wedges (from above)

Method

Paella base

Prepare saffron

Crush the saffron threads lightly between your fingers and steep them in 2 tablespoons of warm fish stock or warm water for 5–10 minutes to release color and aroma. Keep warm.

Sweat aromatics

Heat a wide, shallow paella pan (12–15 inches) or large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add the diced onion and sauté 4–5 minutes until translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add pepper & tomato

Add the julienned red pepper and cook 3–4 minutes until softened. Stir in the grated or crushed tomato and cook down 4–5 minutes until the mixture thickens and most liquid evaporates (this is the sofrito base).

Toast rice & spices

Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat every grain in the sofrito and oil; toast 1–2 minutes. Stir in the smoked paprika, sweet paprika, salt, and black pepper. Pour in the white wine and let it bubble and reduce for 1–2 minutes.

Stock & aromatics

Add the hot fish stock gradually: pour in about half (roughly 2 1/2 cups), then add the warmed saffron infusion (including threads). Stir gently once to distribute the rice evenly but do not stir again after this step. Add the bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat.

Reduce heat to medium-low so the liquid maintains a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for about 10 minutes. If using peas, scatter them over the rice during the last 8 minutes of cooking. Taste a grain at 10 minutes to check doneness; rice should be just under tender (al dente).

Seafood & proteins

While the rice cooks, pat the shrimp and squid dry and season lightly with a pinch of salt and pepper. Tuck the mussels and clams into the simmering rice, hinge-side down so they can open; press the shrimp and squid into the rice surface so they cook in contact with the liquid and steam above it.

Cover the pan loosely with foil or a lid for the final 6–8 minutes of cooking to help shellfish open and shrimp turn pink without overcooking. Check that mussels and clams have opened (discard any that remain closed). Ensure shrimp are opaque and squid is tender. If the stock is absorbed before the rice is cooked, add up to 1/2 cup more hot stock or water as needed.

Finishes & garnish

When the rice is cooked and seafood is done, remove the pan from heat. If desired, dot the surface with the butter and cover again for 2 minutes to melt and gloss the paella. Remove the bay leaf.

Sprinkle chopped parsley over the paella, arrange lemon wedges around the pan, and let rest 3–5 minutes. Serve directly from the pan so a thin toasted crust (socarrat) may develop on the bottom; to encourage socarrat, briefly increase heat for 1–2 minutes at the end of cooking without stirring, listening for faint crackling.