Seafood Paella
This seafood paella with chorizo, clams and shrimp is seasoned with saffron for that authentic paella flavor. Paella, a popular dish in Spain, is a favorite in my house. It’s an easy, one-pot rice dish loaded with seafood, chorizo, and veggies. Another delicious Spanish rice dish that I love if you don’t like seafood is my mom’s Arroz Con Pollo.
Ingredients
Seafood and Meat: cherrystone clams, jumbo shrimp, chorizo are used here. Use any seafood you like. Vegetables: onion, garlic, tomatoes, red bell pepper, frozen peas. Rice: bomba, arborio rice, short grain or medium grain rice can be used. For convenience and price, I used short grain rice. Saffron Threads: saffron is a red spice, which gives the paella its yellow color. Saffron can be expensive, but you don’t need much for this seafood paella recipe. Seasoning: Old Bay seasoning, smoked paprika, kosher salt, bay leaves, parsley Liquid: lemon juice, olive oil, chicken or vegetable broth
How To Make Paella
What is in a traditional paella?
Paella is a Spanish rice dish that originated in Valencia, Spain and is popular throughout the country. It’s generally seasoned with saffron and paprika, cooked in a large frying pan on an open flame. Paella can include a variety of proteins, including chorizo, sausage, chicken breast, chicken thighs, rabbit, mussels, clams, lobster tails, or shrimp.
Paella Pan
In Spain, paella is cooked in a special skillet called a paellera, but you don’t need a fancy paella pan to make this dish. Here I used a large skillet with a fitted lid and it worked perfectly.
Best Rice For Paella
Bomba is the authentic rice for paella. Calasparra rice is an excellent substitute if you can’t get your hands on bomba rice. Arborio Rice can work if you can’t get bomba or Calasparra. You can also use medium-grain or short grain rice if that is what you have. I would not recommend long-grain rice.
What to Serve with Paella
I like to serve this shrimp paella with a light salad and a glass of Spanish red wine. Gazpacho, a classic Spanish soup served cold, would also be great with paella.
Variations:
There are many variations of traditional paella, so feel free to use what you have on hand. You can easily substitute the clams with mussels – just be sure to thoroughly scrub the mussels first. You can also add some chicken and use less seafood.
If you can’t find clams, use mussels or double the amount of shrimp. If you want to add chicken, use less seafood and add a half-pound of diced chicken breast or thigh when you add the broth. If you don’t have fresh bell pepper, jarred roasted peppers will work too.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container 2 to 3 days.
More Rice Recipes You Will Love:
Arroz Con Pollo Black Beans and Rice Lentil and Rice Bowls with Eggs and Bacon Korean Beef Rice Bowls Shrimp, Peas and Rice
