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Seafood paella
Interpretive Recipe — inspired by the reported menu. Not the actual Augusta National recipe.
Prep 30 minCook 55 minServes 8
Ingredients
- For the paella:
- 2.5 cups Spanish Bomba or Calasparra rice (short-grain, DO NOT substitute)
- 5 cups good seafood or shellfish stock, kept hot
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 4 tbsp good Spanish olive oil
- 1 lb large shrimp, shell-on
- 1 lb mussels, scrubbed and debearded
- 1 lb Manila clams, scrubbed
- 8 oz squid, cleaned and cut into rings
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (optional — some paellas mix meat and seafood)
- 1 large onion, very finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 can (14 oz) whole San Marzano tomatoes, drained and crushed
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1.5 tsp sweet smoked paprika (pimentón de la Vera)
- 1/4 tsp hot smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp saffron threads, steeped in 1/4 cup warm stock
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 lemons, quartered
Instructions
- 1. Set up a large 16-inch paella pan or the widest pan you own over two burners. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
- 2. If using chicken: season with salt and pepper. Brown on all sides, about 4 minutes total. Remove and set aside.
- 3. Cook the squid rings quickly in the same oil over high heat for 1 minute just until they turn white. Remove.
- 4. Cook the onion, red pepper, and garlic over medium heat for 10 minutes until very soft and beginning to caramelize. This is the sofrito — it should be deep in flavour.
- 5. Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the mixture is thick, dark, and almost jammy.
- 6. Add both paprikas and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- 7. Pour in the wine and cook for 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan.
- 8. Add the rice and stir to coat in the sofrito for 1 to 2 minutes.
- 9. Add the bloomed saffron and all the hot stock at once. Stir once to distribute evenly. From this point, do not stir again — ever. Paella is not stirred.
- 10. Return the chicken (if using) to the pan. Nestle it into the rice. Taste the liquid — it should be well-seasoned.
- 11. Cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Reduce to medium and cook for another 8 minutes. Arrange the shrimp, mussels, and clams across the surface of the rice. Add the squid rings. The shellfish will open as they steam.
- 12. Scatter the peas across the top. Cook for a final 5 minutes.
- 13. Listen for a faint crackling sound from the bottom — this is the socarrat, the prized crispy rice crust forming. Let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes once you hear the crackling.
- 14. Remove from heat. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or foil for 5 minutes to rest.
- 15. Serve directly from the pan at the table, scattered with parsley and with lemon quarters for squeezing.
