Traditional Spanish Seafood Paella (Paella de Mariscos)

What Makes This an Authentic Spanish Seafood Paella?

Paella (pronounced pai·ay·uh) is a Spanish rice dish that originates from the Valencian region on the country’s Mediterranean east coast. The name of the dish refers to the pan that paella is typically prepared in, which is large and shallow, with handles on each side.

In Spain, and particularly around Valencia, paella is part of the local culture. The tourism sector has made it so that pretty much every restaurant on the coast serves paellas of varying qualities, but let me tell you a little secret…

The best paella is had at home with friends or family! It’s considered a lunch dish, maybe something for a Sunday afternoon: a dish that brings everyone together.

Having it for dinner is seen as blasphemy, by the way, but if you are not in Spain, I do think we can bend the rules a little.

There are a few key differences between authentic Spanish paella and the Americanized versions you often see online. Here are the main dfferences:

• The rice matters. You don’t use regular rice. Spanish paella requires bomba rice (also called arroz bomba or Valencian rice), which absorbs liquid without becoming mushy. Risotto rice looks similar but is too starchy and won’t give you the right texture.
• No wine. Unlike risotto, paella doesn’t include wine.
• The bones stay in. If you’re making a meat paella, the bones are essential for flavor. For seafood paella, the shells serve the same purpose.
• No chorizo in seafood paella. This is important. Adding chorizo to seafood paella is not traditional and would horrify anyone from Valencia. (Remember when Jamie Oliver’s website published a paella recipe with chorizo? Half of Spain yelled at him on the internet.)

The goal is socarrat. This is the crispy, slightly caramelized rice layer at the bottom of the pan. It’s the mark of a well-made paella.

Key Ingredients for Seafood Paella

In the recipe below, Marijke will tell you how to make a traditional Valencian seafood paella. Since some ingredients may be a little more difficult to find in the US, I’ll also list a few substitutes for those who don’t feel the need to follow the traditional recipe to the letter.

Please don’t tell the Valencians that I did, though: they take the traditions extremely seriously. You won’t find peas or chorizo in this one, as that might get me hate mail.

Here’s what you’re going to need:

Seafood

• Fresh, live mussels (substitute: frozen with shell)
• Fresh squid or cuttlefish, in rings (substitute: frozen, unbreaded calamari)
• Fresh shrimp or prawns, shell-on (substitute: frozen, but with shell please, since it lends lots of flavor to your dish!)
• Optional: fresh clams (or frozen with shell)

You can include other seafood that you like (I have seen arroces with lobster, for example), but these are the classics.

Vegetables

• Garlic: have you ever seen a Mediterranean dish without it?!
• Grated tomato: something we don’t use much here in the US, but it is actually a classic paella ingredient. Simply cut a tomato in half and grate it on a box grater, discarding the skin.

Spices

• Saffron (substitute: you can look for paella seasoning with food coloring)
• Sweet paprika: for color and a mildly smoky flavor.
• Optional: parsley, although this is not traditional.

Saffron gives paella its distinctive color and subtle flavor. Saffron is expensive, but you don’t need much, just 10-12 threads. If saffron is out of reach, look for paella seasoning in Spanish grocery stores, which provides the color without the cost.

Other Key Ingredients:

• Arroz bomba/Valencian rice: there really isn’t a substitute for this because the texture is so specific. Risotto rice looks similar, but is much too starchy.
• Fish stock: a homemade one would be fantastic, but buying it is not frowned upon. Try to get a quality stock, since it will determine much of the flavor of your paella.
• Olive oil: again, have you ever seen a Mediterranean dish that doesn’t have this in its ingredient list?

How to Get Socarrat

Socarrat is the crispy, caramelized rice layer at the bottom of a properly made paella. It’s not burnt, just deeply toasted, and it’s considered the best part of the dish.

To achieve it:

• Don’t stir the rice. Once you add the stock and rice, resist the urge to stir. Let the rice cook undisturbed so the bottom layer can crisp.
• Use high heat at the end. After the rice has absorbed most of the liquid and the seafood is cooked, increase the heat for the last 1-2 minutes.
• Listen for it. You’ll hear a slight crackling sound when the socarrat is forming. That’s your signal to take it off the heat.
• Use the right pan. A non-stick pan won’t work because the rice won’t crisp properly. Use a traditional carbon steel paella pan or a large stainless steel skillet.
• Don’t make it in the oven. You cannot make proper socarrat in the oven. The direct heat from below is essential.

The Right Pan for Paella

Paella is named after the pan it’s cooked in: a paellera. These pans are wide and shallow with handles on each side.

The size matters because the rice should be spread in a thin layer. Piling rice deep prevents even cooking and makes socarrat impossible.

Here are pan sizes for different crowds:

• 40 cm (15.5 inches): Up to 3 people
• 55 cm (21.5 inches): Up to 5 people
• 65 cm (25.5 inches): Up to 7 people
• 80 cm (31.5 inches): Up to 10 people
• 90 cm (35 inches): Up to 12 people

If you don’t have a paella pan, a large stainless steel skillet works. Just avoid non-stick.

How to Make Traditional Spanish Seafood Paella

Marijke has been living in Spain for over 4 years and says that she and her friends get together for a paella cookout at least every few months. Serve some wine and appetizers, play some music and get cooking. Everyone can help.

She and her friends make their paella outdoors using a special gas burner with a large ring that can fit our XL paellera. If you’re planning to make paella regularly, this setup is worth the investment.

However, you can also make yours on a charcoal barbecue or even over a campfire. Even your regular stove works, although you may have to get a large ring or rotate the pan regularly so everything cooks evenly.

The basic method:

• Heat oil in the paella pan over medium-high heat. Sear the squid and shrimp briefly (1-2 minutes) and set aside. They shouldn’t be fully cooked yet. Cook the mussels and clams just until they open, then set aside.
• Sauté garlic until golden, about one minute. Add grated tomato and cook for 5 minutes. Add the rice and paprika, stirring to coat the grains with oil and tomato. Pour in the fish stock and add the saffron. Stir once, then leave it alone.
• Let the rice simmer for about 20 minutes without stirring. Taste the broth and adjust salt if needed, but don’t stir. The rice will brown at the edges, and if you’re lucky, on the bottom too.
• When the rice is almost done (slightly al dente), arrange the seared seafood on top. Don’t stir it in, just lay it on the surface. Continue cooking until the rice is fully done. If the liquid is gone but the rice isn’t ready, add a little water.
• Remove from heat, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.