Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (30 ml)
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped (approx. 1 cup, 150g)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (approx. 2 teaspoons, 6g)
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped (approx. 1 cup, 150g)
  • 1 ripe tomato, grated (approx. ½ cup, 120g)
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (5g)
  • ½ teaspoon saffron threads, lightly toasted (1g)
  • 1 ½ cups paella rice (bomba or Calasparra) (300g)
  • 5 cups seafood stock (1.2 Liters)
  • 1 pound mussels, scrubbed and debearded (450g)
  • 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (450g)
  • ½ pound calamari, cleaned and cut into rings (225g)
  • ½ pound scallops (225g)
  • ½ cup frozen peas (75g)
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving
  • Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions:

  1. Heat olive oil in the paella pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened and translucent. Add garlic and bell pepper; cook until softened. Stir in grated tomato, smoked paprika, and toasted saffron. Cook until the sofrito is thickened and fragrant.
  2. Stir the paella rice into the sofrito, ensuring each grain is coated in the mixture. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
  3. Pour in the seafood stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Do not stir after this point!
  4. Arrange the mussels, shrimp, calamari, and scallops evenly over the rice. Gently press them into the rice.
  5. Simmer, uncovered, until the rice has absorbed most of the stock and the seafood is cooked through. The mussels should be open, the shrimp pink, and the calamari tender. This will take about 20-25 minutes.
  6. Stir in the frozen peas. Increase heat slightly for the last few minutes of cooking to encourage the socarrat to form on the bottom of the pan (listen for a crackling sound).
  7. Remove from heat, cover with a clean tea towel, and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
  8. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately with lemon wedges.