Dinner · Spanish

Spanish Seafood Paella

Name: Spanish Seafood Paella
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: One large pan, serves 6
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion, finely chopped; 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 200 g (1 cup) crushed tomatoes; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 300 g (1½ cups) short-grain paella rice (bomba or arborio); A generous pinch of saffron threads (about ½ tsp); 1 litre (4¼ cups) hot fish or chicken stock; Salt, to taste; 12 large shrimp, shells on or off; 500 g (1 lb) mussels, scrubbed and debearded; 300 g (10 oz) clams, scrubbed; 100 g (⅔ cup) frozen peas; 1 lemon, cut into wedges; Fresh parsley, chopped, to garnish

Golden saffron rice with shrimp, mussels and clams — with the prized crispy socarrat bottom.

Spanish seafood paella with shrimp, mussels and lemon in a paella pan

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Paella is Spain's great celebration dish — a wide pan of golden saffron rice studded with shrimp, mussels and clams, brought straight to the table for everyone to share. It looks like a showpiece, but the method is refreshingly simple: build a sofrito of tomato, garlic and peppers, toast the rice in it, add saffron stock, and then — this is the hard part — don't stir. Leaving the rice alone lets the grains cook evenly and forms the socarrat, the prized crispy caramelized crust on the bottom that Spaniards fight over. You don't need a special paella pan; a large, wide skillet works. Use the best seafood you can find, a good pinch of real saffron, and finish with lemon and parsley. This is weekend cooking at its most joyful — pour something cold, gather everyone around the pan, and dig in.

❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe

A true one-pan showstopper for guests and family gatherings
The crispy socarrat bottom is pure magic — and easier than you think
Flexible: use whatever seafood looks freshest at the market
Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free
Tastes like a holiday on the Spanish coast

📋 Recipe Details

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 35 min
Total Time: 50 min
Servings: 6
Difficulty: Medium

🧄 Ingredients

One large pan, serves 6

3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
4 garlic cloves, minced
200 g (1 cup) crushed tomatoes
1 tsp smoked paprika
300 g (1½ cups) short-grain paella rice (bomba or arborio)
A generous pinch of saffron threads (about ½ tsp)
1 litre (4¼ cups) hot fish or chicken stock
Salt, to taste
12 large shrimp, shells on or off
500 g (1 lb) mussels, scrubbed and debearded
300 g (10 oz) clams, scrubbed
100 g (⅔ cup) frozen peas
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Fresh parsley, chopped, to garnish

👨‍🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions

1
Steep the saffron in the hot stock and set aside. Discard any mussels or clams that are open and don't close when tapped.
2
Heat the olive oil in a wide 32–36 cm (13–14 inch) pan over medium heat. Cook the onion and pepper 6–8 minutes until soft.
3
Add the garlic and smoked paprika, stir 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes until thick and darkened — this is your sofrito.
4
Stir in the rice and toast 1–2 minutes until the grains are coated and translucent at the edges.
5
Pour in the saffron stock, season with salt and spread the rice evenly. From this point on, do not stir.
6
Simmer uncovered over medium heat 10 minutes, rotating the pan occasionally for even cooking.
7
Nestle the shrimp, mussels and clams into the rice and scatter over the peas. Cook 8–10 more minutes until the rice is al dente and the shellfish have opened.
8
For the socarrat, turn the heat to medium-high for the final 1–2 minutes until you hear a gentle crackling. Remove from heat, cover loosely with foil and rest 5 minutes.
9
Garnish with parsley and lemon wedges and serve straight from the pan.

💡 Cooking Tips

Never stir after adding the stock — stirring releases starch and makes the rice creamy instead of separate.
Listen for the crackle at the end: that's the socarrat forming. A faint toasty smell is good; burning is not.
Use the widest pan you have — a thin, even layer of rice is the whole secret.
Discard any shellfish that stay closed after cooking.

🔄 Ingredient Substitutions

No saffron? Use ½ tsp turmeric for color (the flavor differs, but the dish still sings).
Swap in squid rings, scallops or firm white fish for any shellfish.
Add chicken or chorizo with the sofrito for a mixed paella mixta.
Arborio rice is a fine stand-in if you can't find Spanish bomba rice.