This gorgeous Seafood Paella is a showstopper main dish to serve for holidays and dinner parties but also easy enough to make for a family meal.
Seafood Paella
My thanks to Aneto Natural for partnering with me to develop this Seafood Paella recipe and as one of my food photography clients. Last week (March 27th) was National Paella Day! Yep….thats a thing. A whole day dedicated to this delicious Spanish specialty.
I only started making paella a little over a year ago after meeting the folks from Aneto, since they are based in Spain and make an entire variety of Paella Cooking Bases. My first attempt was a Valencian-style Chicken Paella featuring chicken thighs and green beans, which is easy enough to make on weeknights and very kid-friendly.
When Jon and I visited our Aneto friends in Spain last summer, I learned how to make seafood paella from a michellin-star Spanish chef and it was incredible. Paella can be an intimidated dish for the uninitiated (myself included). Cooking with Chef Fran took all of the guesswork out of paella-making and I’m happy to share that knowledge with you.
Seafood Perfection
When it comes to paella, the seafood version is my absolute favorite. This Seafood Paella recipe features Shrimp, Clams and Mussels and it is absolutely to die for. Using Aneto’s Natural Seafood Paella Cooking Base for the broth cuts the prep time significantly and develops incredible flavor.
Using the freshest possible seafood is also key and, while they can be annoying for diners to remove, I really encourage you to cook your shrimp with the shell on. The shells impart even more flavor into the dish and help ensure the shrimp cooks perfectly without overcooking.
It’s also really important to use proper paella rice. Calasparra Rice and Bomba Rice are both Spanish short-grain varieties that absorb water more slowly and help ensure your paella cooks perfectly without becoming mushy. They’re usually available at specialty groceries and, of course, on Amazon. If you’re in a pinch and can’t find Bomba or Calasparra, Arborio rice is the next best choice.
Perfect Prep
For a dish like Paella, with multiple ingredients added at different times, it’s important to prep and organize everything in advance. If you plan on making paella on a regular basis, I also encourage you to purchase a proper paella pan. Traditionally made of steel with a heavy base and a large, shallow construction, these pans provide the perfect surface for developing that yummy crispy crust on the bottom of the pan that is the hallmark of great paella. A paella pan is also the perfect vessel for sharing — traditionally paella should be eaten from a communal vessel, with each diner eating from the pan.
Get Cooking
Once your equipment and ingredients are ready, it’s time to start cooking. First you’ll sauté your onions, then add your peppers and garlic. Then comes your white wine and smoked paprika and finally, the all-important Cooking Base for Seafood Paella.
Stop Stirring
Once you’ve added your Cooking Base, it’s very important that you stop stirring. Seriously don’t stir the dish anymore! The rice needs to stay in place in order to develop that perfect crust at the bottom. Just be sure to rotate your pan on the burner every few minutes to ensure even cooking.
Next you’ll add your clams and then just walk away for 10 minutes while the broth absorbs and the clams steam.
After 10 minutes pass, you’ll add your shrimp and keep cooking. Let it cook for 8 more (continue rotating that pan!) and finally add your mussels and some frozen peas. Give the pan another 5 minutes. You can check how the rice is doing on the bottom of the pan by poking a fork in it. You’ll be able to tell if it’s starting to develop a crust — just be sure you keep rotating the pan so that the crust doesn’t burn.
Once you’ve got a beautiful crust going, pull it off the heat and tent the pan with foil for 10 more minutes. Then sprinkle the pan with lots of fresh parsley and lemon wedges and enjoy.
Seafood Paella is such a delicious, elegant meal, but also one that feels so interactive and fun for family or a dinner party. It’s a great choice for holidays like Christmas or Easter Sunday, and a perfect dish to try when entertaining family since its surprisingly kid-friendly. While I was shooting my pics, Max got so excited to dig in that he literally stole a clam out of the pan.
Featured Items
Aneto Natural Cooking Base for Seafood Paella
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Seafood Paella with Shrimp, Clams and Mussels
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Spanish
Description
This gorgeous Seafood Paella is a showstopper main dish to serve for holidays and dinner parties but also easy enough to make for a family meal.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup finely diced onion
- 1 medium green bell pepper, seeds and membranes removed, diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, seeds and membranes removed, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups Bomba rice
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 1/2 cup Spanish paella rice (if you can’t find Bomba or Calasparra, substitute arborio rice)
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 carton (34 ounce) Aneto Natural Seafood Paella Cooking Base
- 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 littleneck clams, scrubbed
- 1/2 lb. raw shrimp, peel on
- 12 mussels, scrubbed
- 3/4 cup fresh or frozen peas
- Chopped parsley and lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a 15-inch paella pan or large skillet over medium heat and cook the onions until soft and translucent, 3-4 minutes. Add the bell peppers and garlic and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Add the rice and stir to coat each grain in oil (this prevents the rice from sticking). Add the white wine and bring it to a boil for one minute.
- Add the smoked paprika and salt and stir until completely combined and fragrant. Spread the rice mixture into an even layer across the bottom of the pan. Pour in the Aneto Natural Seafood Paella Cooking Base (Once liquid is added, rice needs to cook undisturbed – do not stir, even once, after this point.)
- Tuck the clams into the rice hinge side down, distributing them evenly in the pan. Cook the rice and clams over low heat for 10 minutes, moving the pan around and rotating it so that the rice cooks evenly.
- After 10 minutes have passed, lay the shrimp on top and continue cooking for 8 minutes more, turning the shrimp when they have become pink on the first side. Add the mussels and peas and cook, turning the pan every few minutes until the mussels have opened and the rice has formed a crispy crust (the socarrat) on the bottom (another 5 to 10 minutes).
- Remove from the heat and tent the pan with some aluminum foil for about 10 minutes. Remove the foil and serve immediately garnished with fresh parsley and lemon wedges.
Notes
- Be sure to rotate the pan every few minutes to ensure even cooking and prevent the crust from burning.
- To check status of the “socarrat” crust at the bottom of the pan, use a fork to gently poke the rice and see if it’s developing a crust.
Keywords: Paella, Seafood, Dinner Party Ideas, Shrimp, Clams, Mussels, Meatless Meals
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