How delicious seafood paella is — or paella de marisco in the original language. To be honest, I didn’t follow the traditional recipe 100%; I read many versions and, as always, I did it my way. This also allowed me to make a lighter version of the classic dish.
But I guarantee it still turned out very tasty. If you have a good homemade fish stock and therefore don’t use bouillon cubes, our seafood paella will be even more flavorful.
Certainly it’s not a dish to make in a few minutes — after all it’s like a seafood risotto and requires its preparation and cooking time — but with my step-by-step instructions anyone can tackle it easily. Let’s cook!
You can find a few other fish recipes here:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 4People
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups Carnaroli rice (preferably arborio or carnaroli)
- 1.1 lb squid (cleaned)
- 14 oz shrimp
- 14 oz clams
- 11 oz mussels
- 1 1/3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (about 4 level teaspoons)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 shallots
- 3 bell peppers
- 10 cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 tbsp dry white wine
- 1 pinch saffron threads
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 leaf bay leaf
- to taste fish stock (store-bought or made with bouillon is fine)
- to taste salt and pepper
- Points per serving = 13 WW points
Steps
First of all, clean the mussels and clams very well and let them open in two separate covered pots, without adding anything, stirring occasionally. It will take just a few minutes.
When the shellfish have opened, drain them, keeping the liquid they released; you should filter it and set it aside for later.
In a nonstick pan, sauté the shrimp for a few minutes with a teaspoon of oil and then keep them warm aside.
Sauté the garlic, shallots and bell peppers cut into small pieces in a wok or a very large nonstick pan with two teaspoons of oil.
Add the squid cut into rings and brown for a few minutes.
Then add the chopped tomatoes, the bay leaf and a little salt.
When the liquid released by the tomatoes has evaporated, remove the bay leaf, take everything out of the pan and keep warm.
In the same pan or wok heat a teaspoon of oil and pour in the rice, stirring continuously. When the rice looks glossy pour the two tablespoons of wine and let it evaporate.
Then pour in the filtered cooking liquid from the clams and mussels and the sauce of squid and tomatoes set aside. Also add the saffron threads, smoked paprika, peas and a couple of cups of fish stock.
Mix everything well, cover and let cook over low heat. Cook the rice aiming for absorption rather than constantly stirring; if it dries out too much add a little more stock. In short, it should cook by absorption.
When the rice is cooked add some of the clams and mussels, stir and then place the remaining shellfish on the surface.
And here is our seafood paella, it smells wonderful — now it’s time to sit at the table! Wait about ten minutes to let it cool slightly so it will be even better.
At home it was a big success. I know the traditional paella de marisco calls for more types of seafood, the use of the typical paellera and a more precise procedure. But if we want to enjoy a good paella — which remains a popular food and therefore shouldn’t be difficult to cook — simply following this method will be enough.
And it also turns out light this way: just one teaspoon of oil per person, little rice, vegetables and lots of fish, which is very healthy with all its great properties. Try it and let me know how it turned out below in the comments or on Facebook.
Enjoy your meal!
by Giovanna Buono
