Spanish · Free recipe
Seaside Paella
Short-grain rice drinks up saffron broth, smoky paprika, and the juices of shrimp and mussels in one wide pan. Left undisturbed at the end, the bottom layer toasts into socarrat, the crackly golden crust everyone quietly fights over at the table.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 1 hr 5 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Medium
Method
-
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a 14-inch paella pan or wide skillet over medium-high heat and sear the shrimp for 1 minute per side until just pink, then set them aside.
-
Add the remaining oil, onion, and bell pepper and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring, until soft and lightly golden at the edges.
-
Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds, then add the grated tomato and paprika and cook until the mixture darkens into a thick, jammy sofrito, about 5 minutes.
-
Scatter in the rice and stir for 1 minute so every grain is coated and glossy.
-
Pour in the hot stock, saffron water, and salt, give it one good stir to spread the rice evenly, and bring to a lively simmer; from here on, do not stir.
-
Simmer for 10 minutes, then nestle in the mussels hinge-side down and scatter the peas over the top.
-
Cook another 8 to 10 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the mussels open, then tuck the shrimp back in and raise the heat to high for 60 to 90 seconds until you hear crackling and smell toasty rice.
-
Pull the pan off the heat, discard any mussels that stayed shut, cover loosely with a towel for 5 minutes, and serve with parsley and lemon wedges.
Zest note from the test kitchen
Rotate the pan over the burner every couple of minutes if it is wider than your flame, so the edges cook as evenly as the center.
