Seafood and Meat Paella.
Now, I hope the Spaniards won’t hold it against me, but I love paella. I would gladly enjoy it with a nice sangria… too bad I’m a teetotaler.
To prepare this dish, I even attended a course, although – let’s face it – it’s certainly not enough to acquire all the tricks and secrets of true Spanish tradition.
So today I present to you my paella, made my way: a homemade, rich, and convivial version, which I often prepare for friends and family. Just one dish and done, complete and satisfying, capable of pleasing everyone in any season. No appetizers, no aperitif, no second course.
For this recipe, you can use fresh fish if you have it available, but frozen pre-cleaned fish is also great, practical, and perfect when we want to bring a classic to the table without complicating our lives.
Ideally, you should cook everything in a paella pan, but don’t worry: if you don’t have one, a large and spacious pan will work just fine, the important thing is that the rice can cook in an even layer.
So, ready?… let’s start cooking!
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Expensive
- Preparation time: 3 Hours
- Portions: 4People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Spanish
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 10.5 oz Carnaroli rice
- 4 chicken thighs
- 7 oz rabbit
- 7 oz pork loin (pork meat)
- 10.5 oz small cuttlefish
- 8 prawns
- 10.5 oz squid
- 10.5 oz mussels
- 1 onion
- 1 bell pepper
- 3.5 oz frozen peas
- 4 oz peeled tomatoes
- 2.5 cups fish stock
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 1 packet saffron
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper
- 1 lemon
- 1 clove garlic
- Half glass white wine
Tools
- Paella Pan
- Lid
Steps
First, clean and prepare all the ingredients: wash and chop the vegetables, clean the seafood, and cut the meat and mollusks to the correct size, so everything is ready at the right time.
In a separate saucepan, open the mussels with a clove of garlic, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and a splash of white wine. Filter the released liquid and add it to the hot fish stock. Shell half of the mussels and keep them warm, covered.
Cut cuttlefish and squid into cubes and brown them in the paella pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, then remove from heat and set aside.
In the same paella pan quickly brown the prawns, just enough to color them, then set them aside: they will be needed for the final decoration.
Add another drizzle of oil and brown all the meat cut into cubes (pork, chicken, and rabbit) over high heat, making sure to brown it well and evenly. Only then do we add the sweet paprika, followed by a finely chopped mixture of onion, garlic, and peppers. Cook over medium heat until you get a soft and creamy base.
Add the peas and the peeled tomatoes (blended if necessary), then pour in the hot fish stock until it reaches about the inner rim of the handles of the paella pan. Add the saffron and let it cook for 2 minutes.
At this point, pour the rice, distribute it evenly, and give it a quick initial stir, just to mix it with the seasoning.
Then add the hot fish stock: the cooking will take about 20 minutes, always maintaining a liquid amount equal to twice the volume of the rice, in this case, 2.5 cups of fish stock.Important note: paella is never stirred. During cooking, if necessary, move it only by handling the paella pan.
After 10 minutes, add the cuttlefish and squid set aside. 2 minutes before the end, complete the paella with prawns, shelled mussels, and slices of bell pepper.
Once cooked, turn off the heat and let it rest for a few minutes. Serve the paella piping hot with lemon wedges.
Storage and Tips
Store covered with foil or in a pot with a lid.
Consume by the next day.
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