Seafood paella prepared with mussels, squid, langoustines, and shrimp is a variation of the classic Valencian paella. It is cooked in a traditional large iron pan with high sides and is a delectable dish to enjoy, especially in company.
Seafood paella is great for any special occasion or simply to share joyfully with friends. The preparation process for the paella is similar to the “Fideus a la cassola”, the typical Spanish pan pasta in the vegetarian version.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 6People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients
- 14 oz Bomba rice (or Arborio)
- 2 lbs mussels
- 21 oz squid (or baby octopus)
- 12 langoustines
- 6 jumbo shrimp (red)
- 6 cups fish broth
- 9 oz white onion (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2.1 oz green bell pepper
- 3.5 oz dry white wine
- 2.8 oz tomatoes (ripe, chopped)
- 1 oz chili paste
- 2 packets saffron
- to taste olive oil + fine salt
- to taste fresh parsley, chopped
Steps
Prepare the fish broth with shellfish heads and fish of your choice and keep it warm for the next steps.
Open the mussels in a pot, placing a drizzle of oil and a garlic clove at the bottom. When they open, turn off the heat and strain the water they released, setting it aside.
Shell almost all of the mussels, leaving a few with the shell for decorating the paella.If you have the special “paella” pan, place it on the stove with a small cup of olive oil. When the oil is hot, sear the langoustines for a minute on each side, then the shrimp, remove them and set them aside.
In the same oil, flavored by the shellfish, add the chopped onion, chopped garlic, and chopped green bell pepper, and sauté them on low heat.
Add a ladle of fish broth and caramelize the vegetables for 20 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally to prevent them from sticking. If necessary, moisten them with more broth.When the vegetables are brown and caramelized, add another ladle of broth, the chopped ripe tomatoes, and the chili paste. Sauté and mix again for 2 minutes.
Now add the chopped squid or whole baby octopus and sauté them in the pan over medium-low heat for 30 minutes with the lid on. If they dry out, moisten them with a bit of broth. Finally, remove the squid or octopus from the pan and set them aside.At this point, add the rice to the sauce obtained and mix it well, then deglaze with the white wine over high heat.
Add the remaining fish broth, the mussel cooking water, and the saffron dissolved in half a small glass of water.
Add the squid, shrimp, langoustines, and shelled mussels to the rice and give a light stir, then let the rice cook for 6-10 minutes without stirring.
When cooking is complete, decorate the paella with the reserved seafood, letting it rest for 3 minutes before serving with a sprinkle of chopped parsley.
