Seafood Paella Cooking Inside and Outside
Paella is awesome! This specialty Spanish rice dish is a well-seasoned, magical mixture of cooked meats, vegetables, and seafood. Showing off paella’s versatility, we’ve developed one recipe prepared two ways; á la grill or á la skillet. We’ll share with you our secret for layering flavor (resulting in very, very tasty paella) and how to cook paella inside and out.
Bomba Rice, Paella Rice, or Short Grain Rice
Step One is making sure you have the right rice. Paella is made by using short grain rice. Short grain rice absorbs liquid really well and has the ability to stay relatively al dente while cooking. The goal of rice in a paella is to absorb all the liquid, almost to the point of becoming dry, and then, creating this beautiful crispy crust along the bottom and sides of the pan. Bomba rice is the most traditional, available online or at specialty grocery stores. Arborio (risotto rice) and sushi rice are acceptable substitutes. Just stay away from long-grain rice, these will not work for your paella. Bomba rice works on a 3 cups liquid to every 1 cup rice. If using a substitute, like arborio, reduce the liquid in this recipe (2:1).
Spain ❤️ Seafood
With over 3000 kilometers of coastline, as well as three major waterways to fish from; Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Cantabrian, Spain is flush with fish and shellfish. Each region has their favorites, but, collectively, you’ll see an abundance of shrimp, mussels, clams, lobsters, and squid. For our paella, we’ll be using all of those tasty morsels!
Pan Perfect
Lastly, make sure to stock up on a decent paella pan. The flat bottoms, slopping sides, and either steel or cast iron material are constructed specifically for this dish. Distributing the heat evenly, creating that crispy crust, and allowing just enough moisture to escape so the dish does not get soggy.
On To The Recipe
Seafood Paella
Ingredients
Paella Broth:
- 3 cups vegetable or seafood broth
- 1 teaspoon saffron
Seafood & Marinade:
- 1 steamed lobster tails halved and claws removed
- 12 large raw shrimp
- 1 lemon halved
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 12 clams
- 12 mussels
- 1/2 lb. calamari
Paella:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion peeled and minced
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 1 cup red bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1/2 cup poblano or serrano pepper seeded and diced
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup bomba or paella rice
- 1/4 cup sherry or white cooking wine
- 1 14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 3/4 cup fresh peas
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Warm vegetable broth in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Once the broth is hot, sprinkle with saffron threads, and remove from the heat. Set the broth aside to steep for 15 minutes.
Grilled Paella:
- Preheat one side of a gas grill to high heat or prep charcoals for a charcoal grill (once the charcoals are hot, push the hot coals over to one side of the grill).
- Place prepped lobster, shrimp, and lemon in a large bowl. Drizzle with half of the olive oil (1 1/2 tbsp.) and season with half of the salt (1 tsp.) and paprika (1 tsp.), toss to coat. Once the grill is hot, place the seafood and lemon on the grill, directly over the coals or “hot” side, and grill for 5-10 minutes or until the seafood is cooked through and lightly charred (the lemon too), remove from the grill and set aside on a plate. Place the clams, mussels, and calamari in the bowl (same one used to marinate the lobster and shrimp) and toss with the remaining olive oil (1 1/2 tbsp.) and seasoning (1 tsp. Salt and 1 tsp. Paprika), set aside.
- Place a paella pan on the “hot” side of the grill. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic, and peppers (bell peppers and poblano), and sauté for 8-10 minutes or until the onions and peppers are slightly caramelized and tender. Add the smoked paprika, salt, and rice to the pan, stir to combine, and continue to sauté, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with sherry and, once the wine has evaporated, add the saffron-steeped broth and diced tomatoes. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.
- Once simmering, carefully transfer the paella pan to the side of the grill not directly over the heat source, and cook for 20 minutes, uncovered, without stirring.
- Nestle the marinated clams, mussels, calamari into the rice, cover the pan, and continue to cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is tender, the liquid has been absorbed, and the clams and mussels have opened (discard any that have not opened).
- Remove the pan from the heat, add the grilled shrimp and lobster, lemon, and peas, cover, and set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle the paella with chopped parsley before serving. Season to taste with sea salt.
Stove-Top Paella:
- Preheat the paella pan over high heat. Place prepped lobster, shrimp, and lemon in a large bowl. Drizzle with half of the olive oil (1 1/2 tbsp.) and season with half of the salt (1 tsp.) and paprika (1 tsp.), toss to coat. Once the pan is hot, working in batches if necessary, add the seafood, and cook, until the shrimp are cooked through and the lobster is seared. (You can sear the lemon here as well, makes for a very pretty garnish). Remove the seafood from the pan and set aside on a plate.
- Place the clams, mussels, and calamari in the bowl (same one used to marinate the lobster and shrimp) and toss with the remaining olive oil (1 1/2 tbsp.) and seasoning (1 tsp. Salt and 1 tsp. Paprika), set aside.
- Return the paella pan to the heat and add 3 tbsp of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic, and peppers (bell peppers and poblano), and sauté for 8-10 minutes or until the onions and peppers are slightly caramelized and tender. Add the smoked paprika, salt, and rice to the pan, stir to combine, and continue to sauté, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with sherry and, once the wine has evaporated, add the saffron-steeped broth and diced tomatoes. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 20 minutes, uncovered, without stirring.
- Nestle the marinated clams, mussels, calamari into the rice, cover the pan, and continue to cook for 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender, the liquid has been absorbed, and the clams and mussels have opened (discard any that have not opened).
- Remove the pan from the heat, add the grilled shrimp and lobster, lemon, and peas, cover, and set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle the paella with chopped parsley before serving. Season to taste with sea salt.
Taste of Spain, at Home
All of the seafood we used in this paella recipe is available at our online store! Lobster, shrimp, mussels, clams, and calamari (oh, my!) packed with care and shipped directly to your door on the day you choose. Cameron’s Seafood prides itself on providing their customers with the finest and freshest seafood available. Click here to shop today and see the Cameron’s Seafood difference for yourself! Satisfaction guaranteed.
About the author
Patterson Watkins is a professional chef with over 17 years of experience. With a robust career in restaurants, contract dining and catering (including 4 Summer Olympic posts preparing food for the athletes!) Patterson joined the Cameron’s Seafood team at the end of 2018 to concoct some delicious recipes with our premium seafood items as the centerpiece.
