Seafood paella
Shrimp, clams, and mussels nestled into saffron rice with lemon wheels fanned across the top — this is the showstopper of our Spanish table. The rice toasts with a little chorizo, drinks up white wine and homemade sofrito, and simmers undisturbed before the shellfish steam open in the oven. Ten minutes of rest, a dusting of pimentón and parsley, and the pan itself becomes the centerpiece. Adapted from Sur La Table and scaled for a sixteen-inch pan, it feeds eight to ten with real drama.
Prep 25 minutes · Cook 45 minutes · Total 70 minutes · Serves 8 to 10 · Originally shared on Saved You a Seat
The Recipe
Seafood Paella
Ingredients
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth or seafood broth
- 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 oz Spanish chorizo, diced small (optional)
- 2 1/4 cups Spanish Valencia or Bomba rice
- 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
- 1 1/2 cups sofrito (see our recipe)
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, soaked in 1 1/2 tablespoons warm water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
- 2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 1/2 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pimentón, plus more for garnish
- 3/4 lb clams, scrubbed
- 3/4 lb mussels, scrubbed and debearded
- 1 1/2 lemons, sliced into thin wheels
Instructions
- Set up. Heat the oven to 425°F and bring the broth to a gentle simmer.
- Toast the rice. Heat the oil in the paella pan over medium-high; add the chorizo and rice and toast 1 to 2 minutes.
- Deglaze. Add the wine and cook until mostly absorbed.
- Season the rice. Stir in the sofrito, saffron with its water, parsley, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Add about 3 cups hot broth, distributing the rice evenly.
- Simmer. Over medium heat, add the remaining broth and simmer undisturbed 10 to 12 minutes.
- Season the shrimp. Toss the shrimp with the remaining salt and the pimentón.
- Nestle the seafood. Arrange the shrimp, clams, and mussels over the rice; lay the lemon wheels across the top.
- Bake. Cover loosely with foil and bake about 12 minutes, until the shellfish open and the rice is nearly tender. Uncover 3 to 5 minutes more if needed.
- Rest and finish. Rest 5 to 10 minutes, dust with pimentón and parsley, and serve from the pan.
OTC notes
Adapted from Sur La Table. Scaled for a 16-inch pan and the way our family actually eats it.
Buy the shellfish the day of. Clams and mussels should smell like the ocean and close when tapped; discard any that do not open after cooking.
The lemon wheels are structural. They perfume the whole pan as it bakes — not just a garnish.
Resist the stir. Once the broth is in, hands off; that is how the bottom crisps into socarrat.
Questions from your table
Chicken broth or seafood broth? Seafood broth doubles down on the ocean; chicken broth keeps it rounder. Both are correct — use what you can get fresh.
Can I skip the chorizo? Yes — it is optional here. A pinch more pimentón keeps the smoky depth.
What if I cannot find Bomba rice? Valencia is the intended match; in a pinch, Arborio with careful broth additions.
How do I know the rice is done? Tender with the faintest bite, all broth absorbed, shellfish open. The rest finishes the last bit of steam.
Can I add other seafood? Calamari rings or chunks of firm white fish tuck in beautifully alongside the shrimp.
What do I pour with it? Something crisp and Spanish — Albariño, cava, or our Sobremesa Sangria.
Watch it happen
Watch us make it on Instagram @ourtablescompany — reel coming soon.
What we used at this table
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