Simple Seafood Paella Recipe

Easy Seafood Paella Recipe made with mixed frozen seafood and a touch of turmeric, a quick and easy dish for a delicious midweek dinner. It's hearty and full of colour, and on the table in 30 minutes or so.

Paella is one of Spain's most famous dishes, and that also makes it popular all over the world too. It's basically a rice dish that can have either chicken, seafood or any other meat added, chorizo being a very popular addition too.

Seafood

Although the original version is a lot fancier, nothing stops us from making this dish our own, and tweaking the ingredients according to our taste buds and budgets.

Simple Spring Paella Recipe

The vibrant yellow colour is usually achieved by adding saffron, which is quite a pricey ingredient. Saffron does add a subtle unique flavour to the dish, but I found that the best replacement for saffron is turmeric, which is a lot more easily available and cheaper too.

Authentic paella might not use turmeric, but I am not claiming this to be a traditional dish, but more like my own take on the classic Spanish sample food. It's a lot easier to make, with whatever ingredients I had around, but so delicious and as posh as it can get.

For this dish I used frozen mixed seafood, which was cooked straight from frozen, but I removed any ice particles as well as I could, in order to avoid getting too much liquid into the rice. Alternatively, the seafood can be thawed beforehand and cooked chilled.

Easiest Ever Paella Recipe

The stock/broth is very important, as this gives so much flavour to the dish, I used chicken stock, but fish stock, if you have, is a very good addition here.

Unlike the Italian risotto, which has a creamy texture, the paella doesn't need to be as creamy, that is why there is no need to stirring frequently. Leave the rice to cook undisturbed, that's the way to get a rice grains separated.

And that's my take on the Spanish paella, I for one absolutely loved it, and I will definitely try more variations too. Do give it a try, you will love it!

Quick And Easy Paella

If you’ve liked my EASY SEAFOOD PAELLA RECIPEor any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can alsoFOLLOW MEonFACEBOOK, andPINTERESTto see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to

How To Make Easy Paella Without Saffron

This is my personal take on this dish and is different from the traditional, but it offers a few easy tips for the home cook (be sure to check out the tips and video below)

According to this History of Paella article, paella combines the Roman and Arabic cultures as Arab conquerors introduced rice in Valencia. The word paella, may have stemmed from the Arabic word baquia, which simply means leftovers. And it is said that this meal was introduced by Valencia farm workers as the delicious solution to leftovers. Basically, a one-pot rice meal embellished with whatever ingredients one had on hand. And that's why, it makes perfect sense that there are many variations of it today.

Spanish

In an article by The Guardian, Valencian chef Llorenç Millo is quoted saying, paella has as many recipes as there are villages, and nearly as many as there are cooks. To me, that makes it one of the most exciting and inviting dishes.

Easy Paella Recipe

And I'll say right off the bat, this seafood paella recipe is my own pared down version, prepared as an easy weeknight solution that does not require a special fire nor a special pan.

Historically, in Valencia, this dish would have incorporated things like chicken thighs, rabbit, snails and beans (about three kinds of fresh beans). But, as mentioned earlier, paella is the mother of leftover solutions and one-pot meals, and the ingredients will vary from place to place, depending on the traditions and what ingredients are available. Nowadays, particularly in the States, paella is almost always associated with seafood.

When you cook paella rice, you're looking for the end result to be dry, separated rice and not something like a creamy risotto or a sticky rice like you would eat at a Chinese restaurant. That's why, your choice of rice here is important.

Grilled Paella Recipe

The best rice option to use when making this dish is a medium-grain rice that can absorb the liquid while maintaining some bite and firmness. Round Spanish rice could be hard to find, but something like Goya medium grain rice (affiliate link) will work. Long-grain rice is not a good option here.

In this easy seafood paella, I kept the ingredient list short, focusing on two seafood options: shrimp and lobster. If either is not available to you, feel free to get creative using a firm fish or some mussels or clams. I did not add any chicken or chorizo, but again, if that is something you are looking for, feel free to adapt this recipe (see section below called variations).

Easy

And while, traditionally, this dish is cooked over open fire made of tree prunings, this easy, home-cooked version is simply cooked on the stovetop.

Easy Fideuà Recipe (catalan Pasta Paella)

If you have a paella pan or even a special outdoor paella grill (affiliate links), that would be ideal. But I don't have one, and found it easy enough to use a sturdy skillet.

The important thing is that the skillet you use has a large and even surface, which aids in cooking the rice properly and quickly. That's why a round-bottomed wok is not a good choice for making paella. It's not impossible, but if you're new to making this, you would have better results using a carbon steel pan or a cast iron skillet, which is what I used in this recipe.

1- The first step here is to get the lobster cooking in boiling water. This will be quick, about 1 to 2 minutes. You don't want to overcook the lobster, but you're looking for it to turn a nice pink. When the lobster is cool enough to handle, remove the shell and cut into large chunks to use later. Important: keep the lobster water for later use.

Simple Chicken & Seafood Paella Recipe

2. I like to soak the paella rice in water a few minutes (15 to 20 minutes or so) before using, this helps it cook evenly. Then, to begin making the paella, heat 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil over medium-high (making sure it's shimmering but not smoking.) Saute chopped onions first for a couple minutes, then add the rice (drain first).

Cook the rice for 3 minutes, stirring regularly. Yes, I am aware that in some recipes you are almost forbidden from stirring the rice. But it worked best for me this way. Grateful to Bobby Flay for this tip.

3- Now we add a few more ingredients: garlic and the lobster cooking water first. Then the saffron and it's soaking liquid along with spices, paprika, cayenne pepper, aleppo pepper, and salt.

Spanish Seafood Paella Recipe

3. b) Stir in the chopped tomato and green beans. Bring to a boil and let the liquid reduce, then cover (with lid or tightly with foil) and cook on low heat for 20 minutes.

4- Now, we add the shrimp over the rice, pushing it into the rice a little. At this point, if the rice looks to be too dry and might need a tiny bit of water, you can carefully add some. Cover and cook for another 10-15 minutes until the shrimp turns pink.

4- b) Finally, add the cooked lobster chunks. When the lobster is warmed through, turn heat off. Garnish with parsley, if you like.

Simple Seafood And Sausage Paella Recipe Sunset Magazine

Traditions aside, in my house, we serve paella family-style with a favorite white wine or a bit of sangria to go along. Of course, adding a little something to start the meal like chilled tomato Gazpacho is always an option. To finish, try Crema Catalana, Spain's version of crème brûlée.

Easy saffron-infused seafood paella recipe with lobster and shrimp! No need for a special paella pan, a large sturdy skillet like cast iron will work well. Be sure to see the tips for best results. Watch the video and step-by-step tutorial above.

*This post originally appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2015, and it

Paella Recipe

Home / Uncategories / Simple Seafood Paella Recipe
Simple Seafood Paella Recipe