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Spanish Paella Recipe

Average: 4.5 (33 votes)

Description

The Spanish paella recipe is the most typical Tapas dish! Discover how to cook this delicious rice dish originated in Valencia (eastern Spain) with easy directions and get this famous recipe from Spain!

Spanish paella recipe. The authentic paella recipe, the world famous Tapas dish
Complexity level: 
Medium
Calories : 
378 cal
Price estimation: 
5 - 10 $
Cuisine: 
Spanish
Cooking Method: 
Simmering
Fish
Main dishes
Chicken
Rice
Side dishes
Tapas

Ingredients

6 oz
clams
1 T
salt
12
mussels (fresh)
3 clv
garlic
4
chicken thigh
1⁄2 t
black pepper (ground)
1⁄2 t
salt
8 T
olive oil
1⁄2 t
salt
1 T
smoked paprika ( Spanish Pimenton ideally)
3 c
rice (medium-grain)
2
tomato (ripe)
6 oz
shrimps (peeled and deveined)
6 oz
squid rings (prepared)
9 c
fish stock (depends on rice kind and the Paella pan)
1⁄2 t
saffron (15 - 20 threads)
4
prawns / crawfish
4 oz
roasted red pepper strips

Instructions

  • To cook the paella recipe you need a Paella pan or a large wide-based pan (16 - 20 inches for 4 - 6 people).
  1. Soak clams in a medium bowl with 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 cup of water for 20-30 minutes to get the sand out. Then wash clams and set aside.
  2. Clean, de-beard and wash mussels.
  3. Put mussels in a stock pot without water. Heat the stock pot and wait until majority of them have open up (4 - 5 minutes). You can reserve any liquid from the pot to add it to the fish stock.
  4. Remove 8 mussels from the shell and reserve 4 with the shell to garnish over the top of the paella. Set both aside.
  5. Peel and grate tomatoes.
  6. Peel and chop garlic cloves.
  7. Cut chicken thighs into 2 inches chunks and sprinkle them ground black pepper and salt. Set aside.
  8. Heat the paella pan over medium heat with 8 tablespoons of olive oil. When warm add the chicken thighs and cook for 5 minutes on each side or until golden. Then set chicken aside.
  9. While chicken is being fried, place 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a bunch of saffron threads in a mortar. Use a pestle to grind
  10. Add garlic to the paella pan and cook over medium heat for 2 - 3 minutes. 
  11. Add 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika, ideally Spanish Pimentón (sweet) and stir for 30 seconds.
  12. Add grated tomato to the paella pan and sauté for 4 - 5 minutes over medium heat till their water is fully evaporated.
  13. Add squid rings and cook for 3 - 4 minutes more.
  14. Add rice and stir for 1 - 2 minutes.
  15. Bring fish stock to a boil and add a little of it to the mortar to dissolve the saffron mixture and then add the mixture and the rest of the pre-heated fish stock to the paella pan.
  16. Bring the paella pan to a boil and cook over high heat for 7 - 8 minutes.
  17. Add washed clams, shrimps, chicken thigh chunks and unshelled mussels and cook for 7 - 8 minutes. 
  18. Arrange the prawns, the reserved (shell on) mussels and some roasted red pepper strips over the top and cook for 10 - 12 minutes more over low-medium heat (rice should be cooked in 18 - 20 minutes in total or according to your package instructions).
  19. Remove from heat and cover with clean towels. Set aside for 8 - 10 minutes to form a crust.
  20. Serve immediately and enjoy your Spanish paella recipe. See more Spanish Tapas recipes.

Notes

  • Spanish paella recipe is normally cooked with 'bomba' or 'calasparra' rice but you can use any medium-grain rice.
  • It is recommendable to use homemade fish stock (fish fumet) to get a full of flavor Paella dish.
  • You can also use chicken stock instead of fish stock.
  • Paella is always served with some lemon wedge over the top of the paella recipe

Summary

Yield
Servings
Prep time20 minutes
Cooking time45 minutes
Total time1 hour, 5 minutes