Paella de Marisco (Seafood Paella)

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Paella, pronounced pa-yay-yah, originated in Spain’s Mediterranean coast where rice grows. It is usually associated with the region of Valencia. The name of the dish, paella, is actually from the pan that the dish is cooked in – called paellera, a flat round pan that has two handles. Traditionally, paella is eaten directly from the pan itself.

This traditional dish is actually a marriage of two cultures in Spain – The Romans, that created the pan, and we Arabs, who brought the rice!

A story is usually told of how the Moorish (The Muslim rulers at the time) kings’ servants would create rice dishes by mixing the leftovers from royal banquets in large pots to later take home with them. Because of this, it is assumed that the word paella originates from the Arabic word “baqiyah”, meaning leftovers. However, as mentioned above, the term refers to the pan that the dish is cooked in.

Spain is not known for forests, so not much timber is available. The pan was created to be wide instead of deep, so the stock within the rice could evaporate quickly so they only need to get the fire going from the twigs and branches available around them, instead of needing to maintain a constant hot fire with slow burning logs.

It’s amazing how using and adapting to what’s available to you at the time could potentially create centuries-long authentic dishes that gets passed down through generations!

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Paella de Marisco (Seafood Paella)

Yield: 4

Author: Yasmeen's Kitchen Diary

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 30 MinInactive time: 5 MinTotal time: 50 Min

Ingredients

• Jumbo shrimps, skin on for more flavor
• Seared scallops
• Fresh mussels
• 1 cup (220 g) Bomba rice
• ⅓ cup (70 g) olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 1 bell pepper, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• A bunch of parsley, chopped
• 200 ml crushed or diced tomatoes
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• Pinch of saffron
• 2 cups (500ml) stock (fish, ideally) infused with saffron
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Mise en place:

1. Debeard and wash the mussels properly, removing any visible debris. You can make sure they’re alive by tapping them and watching their mouths close.
2. Dice onions and red bell peppers finely.
3. Mince garlic.
4. Chop parsley finely.
5. On a stove, heat up the stock with a pinch of saffron and leave it to infuse– keep warm and make sure it is properly seasoned. TASTE IT!

Making the paella:

1. To a pan, add olive oil. Once hot, add onions and caramelized on low-medium heat until browned.
2. Stir in the red bell peppers and cook until browned and tender.
3. Add the crushed or diced tomatoes and cook until reduced. If you add fresh tomatoes, cook until the tomatoes break down.
4. Add the rice and stir with the mixture and toast the rice for 3-4 minutes.
5. Add the stock to the rice, this is the time to season well! Season well with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. You may also add a pinch of saffron at this stage.
6. Stir the pan one last time and leave to cook on medium heat uncovered for 20 minutes.
7. Add mussels and shrimps, and any seafood of your desire.
8. When the stock is almost evaporated, turn the heat to low, cover the pan with aluminum foil and cloth, and simmer for 15 minutes.
9. At this stage, we want to slowly develop the socarrat (crispy toasted rice) at the bottom of the paella.
10. If the socarrat didn’t develop, turn the heat up for 2 minutes.
11. Rest the paella, covered, for 5-7 minutes.
12. Uncover, garnish with chopped parsley.

Notes:

• The best rice to use for a paella is Bomba rice, it is the authentic rice used for paellas. If you can’t get a hold of it, use any short-grain rice. Arborio is an option.
• If you don’t own a paella pan like me, you can use any flat 12-inch+ shallow, wide, and heavy pan.
• This recipe will last in the fridge for about two days. It does not do well when frozen.
• This recipe is meant to be cooked and eaten straight away. You make keep it warm for 30 minutes. If you want to reheat it, add a bit of stock and stir the rice on low heat until everything is warmed through. You may also use a microwave.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

368.51

Fat (grams)

21.79

Sat. Fat (grams)

3.54

Carbs (grams)

27.20

Fiber (grams)

2.43

Net carbs

24.77

Sugar (grams)

5.60

Protein (grams)

17.05

Sodium (milligrams)

748.28

Cholesterol (grams)

33.67

Spanish

Buen provecho!