Cuisine: Spanish
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Difficulty: Intermediate
“A Taste of Valencia: Easy Weeknight Seafood Paella”
Paella, Spain’s iconic rice dish, traditionally simmers over an open flame with a variety of meats and seafood. This version simplifies the process while preserving the bold saffron and seafood flavors that make paella a global favorite. It’s festive enough for a dinner party but simple enough for a weeknight treat.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup Arborio or short-grain rice
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon saffron threads (or turmeric for budget option)
- 2¼ cups chicken or seafood stock
- 1 can diced tomatoes (drained)
- ½ lb (225g) mussels or clams (cleaned)
- ½ lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ½ cup frozen peas
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions:
- Heat olive oil in a wide skillet. Sauté onion and bell pepper for 5 minutes.
- Stir in garlic, paprika, saffron, and rice. Toast the rice for 2 minutes.
- Add stock and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
- Nestle in the mussels and shrimp, cover again, and cook another 10 minutes or until mussels open and shrimp is cooked.
- Sprinkle peas on top and cook 5 more minutes.
- Let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with lemon wedges.
