Seafood Paella

Name: Seafood Paella
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 95 min
Total time: 135 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 1 pound jumbo shell-on shrimp; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 shallot, peeled and roughly chopped; 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped; 1 carrot, roughly chopped; 2 celery ribs, roughly chopped; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 2 teaspoons pimentón dulce (smoked sweet Spanish paprika); 1/4 cup dry white wine; 4 cups cold water; 4 black peppercorns; 5 sprigs fresh thyme; 1 bay leaf; 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed; Fine salt to taste; 1 large egg; 3 cloves garlic; 1 shishito pepper (or substitute your favorite small green pepper), stemmed and sautéed just enough to soften, optional; 1/4 teaspoon fine salt; 1 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil; 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided; 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced; 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced; 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and finely diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and finely diced; 1 1/2 tablespoons pimentón dulce (smoked sweet Spanish paprika); 1/2 teaspoon fine salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/2 pound cuttlefish, bodies cut into medium dice and tentacles halved

A rich seafood paella featuring a homemade shrimp stock, sofrito, cuttlefish, and clams, promising tender rice and a desirable crispy socarrat.

⭐ 4.5 (26 reviews) Prep: 30 minCook: 95 minTotal: 135 minYields: 4 servings

Category Tags:

Dinner Entree

Cuisine Tags:

Spanish

This page may contain affiliate links. If you click and buy, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Ingredients

For the Shrimp Broth

1 pound jumbo shell-on shrimp
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 carrot, roughly chopped
2 celery ribs, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons pimentón dulce (smoked sweet Spanish paprika)
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 cups cold water
4 black peppercorns
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
Fine salt to taste

For the Alioli

1 large egg
3 cloves garlic
1 shishito pepper (or substitute your favorite small green pepper), stemmed and sautéed just enough to soften, optional
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil

For the Paella

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
1 1/2 tablespoons pimentón dulce (smoked sweet Spanish paprika)
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 pound cuttlefish, bodies cut into medium dice and tentacles halved
1 cup (1/2 pound) Bomba rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 pound small clams, scrubbed
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, minced (save the stems)

Instructions

To prepare shrimp broth: Peel and devein shrimp, reserving shells and refrigerating shrimp. In a large saucepan, sauté shrimp shells in olive oil for 3 minutes. Add shallot, onion, carrot, and celery; cook 8-10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and pimentón. Deglaze with white wine, cook 3-4 minutes. Add water, simmer 10 minutes, skimming foam. Add peppercorns, thyme, bay leaf, garlic, and salt; simmer 10 more minutes. Strain broth and keep warm.
To make alioli: Combine egg, garlic, pepper, salt, and oil in a blending cup. Use an immersion blender to emulsify into a mayonnaise consistency, adjusting seasoning. Refrigerate.
To prepare sofrito: In a 12-inch shallow pan, sauté onion with salt in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add red and green bell pepper, cook 7-8 minutes, then garlic for 1-2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, pimentón, salt, and pepper; cook 5-8 minutes until liquid evaporates, scraping the pan. Transfer sofrito to a bowl and clean the pan.
To cook paella base: Heat remaining olive oil in the cleaned pan. Sauté cuttlefish until white for 3-5 minutes. Return sofrito to the pan and stir. Add rice and toast for 2-3 minutes.
To simmer paella: Pour in 1 3/4 cups hot broth, stir, and season. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
To finish paella: Arrange reserved shrimp on top, cover, and cook 5-8 minutes until liquid is absorbed and shrimp are pink. Add 1/4 cup more hot broth if rice is not tender.
To form socarrat: Uncover and increase heat to medium-high for a few minutes until socarrat forms. Remove from heat, cover loosely with foil, and let rest 10 minutes.
To steam clams: In a separate saucepan, combine white wine, 1 cup water, and parsley stems; bring to a boil. Add clams, cover, and steam 5-7 minutes until opened.
To serve: Arrange steamed clams on paella and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with alioli, ensuring each portion includes socarrat.

Nutritional Info (per serving)

Calories: 815 kcal

Carbohydrate: 41 g

Cholesterol: 271 mg

Fiber: 6 g

Protein: 39 g

Saturated Fat: 7 g

Sodium: 1814 mg

Sugar: 9 g

Fat: 55 g

Unsaturated Fat: 0 g