Paella with seafood - how to cook a Spanish dish at home using recipes with photos

How to cook paella at home

Cooking paella takes about an hour, taking into account the preparation of ingredients, so it cannot be called a quick dish. But it’s perfect for lunch on a weekend. The list of ingredients may vary depending on the recipe, but the main ones will always include seafood, rice and aromatic saffron. Spanish chefs use a special frying pan called a paellera. It is a large, heavy metal bowl with a flat bottom and low sides. For home cooking, a regular cast iron frying pan with a flat bottom will do.

What kind of rice is needed for paella?

It is important to choose the right rice for paella so that the dish turns out really tasty. Ideal options would be Spanish round-grain varieties of this crop, such as bomba or arborio, but not everyone has access to them. As an alternative, you can use any other round rice, except for basmati and jasmine varieties - they do not absorb moisture well and are not suitable for aromatic Spanish dishes. Cooks generally do not recommend adding long rice to paella.

Paella with seafood - recipe with photos

For the first time, it is better to choose a recipe for paella with seafood that is as close as possible to the classic one. The dish is prepared by analogy with Uzbek pilaf: first, vegetables are sauteed, fish and other seafood are fried, rice is added and everything is simmered over low heat. It is important to follow the recommendations for the duration of processing of ingredients: overcooked squid becomes tough and unpleasant to the taste, and shrimp become tough. An essential component is saffron, which gives rice its characteristic golden color.

Step-by-step recipe for classic seafood paella

Step 1. First of all, you should prepare the fish broth. This is an extremely important, but completely uncomplicated step in preparing classic seafood paella. Place the pan on the stove, pour about 0.5 liters of water into it and wait until it boils.

At this stage, many cooks will have a completely logical question: what to prepare the base for paella from? You can use literally any fish for this, even salmon. Here everything depends only on your taste preferences and financial capabilities. Of course, the most economical solution would be to use fish tails and heads - such fish soup will turn out quite rich and tasty. You can even use the heads of already stored shrimp, they won’t be useful anyway.

Step 2. While the water is heating up, thoroughly clean the prepared fish and throw it into the pan. If you do decide to add shrimp heads, prepare them in the same way.

Step 3: Now is the time to place a heavy-walled frying pan on the stove on medium-high and coat the bottom with olive oil.

Step 4. Once the frying surface has warmed up, first transfer the squid onto it - due to their toughness, they should be cooked a little longer. After a few minutes, add the peeled shrimp here and leave it all together for another 5 minutes.

Step 5: Prepare the tomatoes, garlic, herbs and onions by peeling and finely chopping them. You need to chop it all as finely as possible, you can even use a grater. It is especially convenient to grate tomatoes - this way the peel will remain in your hands.

Step 6. Now add the prepared ingredients to the frying pan. Actively stirring the contents of the dish, fry it for another couple of minutes.

Classic Spanish seafood paella

Cooking time: 1 hour.
Number of servings: 8-12 persons.
Calorie content of the dish: 238 kcal.
Purpose: for lunch.
Cuisine: Spanish.
Difficulty of preparation: easy.

It’s hard to figure out which paella recipe is classic. According to legend, this Spanish pilaf contains not only seafood, but also meat, poultry and vegetables. However, the version with seafood is considered to be a classic paella. Residents of Valencia say that you will never, under any circumstances, find a single onion in paella. Otherwise, some ingredients can be replaced, leaving the base of the dish unchanged.

Ingredients:

squid – 300 g;
shrimp, mussels, scallops – 300 g;
tomatoes – 150 g;
green peas – 100 g;
garlic – 2-3 cloves;
white wine – 100 g;
Short grain rice – 1.5 tbsp.;
saffron – 1 pinch.

Cooking method:

Peel the shrimp, mussels, scallops (do not throw away the shells, make broth from them).
Prepare broth from shells, garlic, spices. Pour these ingredients into 500 ml of water and cook for 20-25 minutes.
Pour 2 tablespoons of water over the saffron. Let it brew.
Fry the seafood cocktail in oil, add finely grated garlic.
Season with salt and pepper and add squid cut into half rings.
Cut the tomatoes into medium-sized cubes or grate them (remove the peel).
Lightly fry the seafood mixture, after 5-10 minutes add the tomatoes and peas.
Pour the rice into the pan, stir well and pour in the broth and white wine.
After 10-15 minutes, season with saffron and simmer until done.

Paella with seafood according to a classic recipe at home

Treat your family to this delicious, delicious and healthy dish.

Ingredients: Small round grain rice - 200 g Large shrimp - 6 pcs. Small shrimps - 100 g Mussels - 8 pcs. Scallops - 8 pcs. Small octopus or squid - 1 pc. Onion - 1 small or 1/2 large onion Garlic - 1 clove Green pepper - 0.5 pcs. Red pepper - 0.25 pcs. Parsley - 1 sprig White wine - 200 ml Fish broth - 400 ml Saffron - 1 pinch Olive oil - 2-3 tbsp. l. Salt - to taste Tomato paste - 1 tsp. or some fresh tomatoes For serving - lemon or lime

Paella with seafood - recipe in a slow cooker

Cooking time: 30-50 minutes.
Number of servings: 5-7 persons.
Calorie content of the dish: 198 kcal.
Purpose: for lunch.
Cuisine: Italian.
Difficulty of preparation: medium.

Progress does not stand still; new miracles of technology are appearing in the kitchen. They help prepare delicious and healthy food, such as aromatic paella with seafood in a slow cooker. This traditional dish in Spain is usually served only for lunch. It is believed that a mixture of seafood and meat is very difficult to digest in the evening, and even more so before bed.

Ingredients:

fresh bell pepper – 120 g;
round rice – 300 g;
sea cocktail – 500 g;
chicken fillet – 250 g;
garlic – 3-4 cloves;
saffron – 1 pinch;
salt, pepper - to taste;
olive oil – 2 tbsp. l.;
lemon – 60-70 g.

Cooking method:

Heat a small amount of oil in a multicooker bowl and fry seafood in it.
When a golden crust begins to appear on them, add chopped garlic and thinly sliced pepper.
After 5-8 minutes, add finely chopped chicken fillet, saffron, and spices.
After another 10 minutes, add dry rice, mix everything well, pour in 1 glass of water or broth.
Turn on the multicooker to the “Pilaf” or “Rice” mode and simmer until done. Sprinkle lightly with lemon juice before serving.

Cooking in a slow cooker

Almost every modern housewife has a multicooker in her kitchen, because with it you can prepare healthy dishes, even such world-famous ones as paella.

In Spain, it is served for lunch, as it is believed that the ingredients used in its preparation are poorly absorbed by the body at a later time.

Cooking method:

Pour a little olive oil into the multicooker bowl and fry 500 g of seafood until golden brown. Then add three cloves of chopped garlic and thin slices of bell pepper to them.
After 15 minutes, add 300 g of dry rice along with a pinch of saffron and other seasonings.
Pour in a glass of broth (water), set the “Rice” or “Pilaf” mode.
Before serving the paella, sprinkle with lemon juice.

Paella with shrimp

Cooking time: 45-55 minutes.
Number of servings: 4-6 persons.
Calorie content of the dish: 197 kcal.
Purpose: for lunch.
Cuisine: Spanish.
Difficulty of preparation: medium.

If you are not a big fan of sea life (mussels, squid), then the shrimp paella recipe will be an excellent alternative for you. This dish is no less tasty than the classic one; it can be varied with a large number of your favorite vegetables and meat additives. If desired, you can use fish or vegetable broth, which will add even more rich aroma and flavor to the rice.

Ingredients:

bell pepper – 1 pc.;
garlic – 3-4 cloves;
saffron – 1 pinch;
round rice – 300 g;
peeled shrimp – 400 g;
canned corn - to taste;
broth - 1 l;
parsley - to taste;
white wine – 50 ml;
tomatoes – 2-3 pcs.;
salt, pepper, lemon juice - to taste.

Cooking method:

Chop the sweet pepper into thin strips and chop the garlic into small pieces.
Remove the skin from the tomatoes and cut them into cubes.
Saute the peppers and garlic for 3-5 minutes, then add rice, saffron, and spices to them.
After 5-7 minutes, add tomatoes, water, shrimp, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low.
5-10 minutes before cooking, pour white wine into the dish, add herbs and corn.
Sprinkle with lemon juice before serving.

Simple paella recipe with shrimp

I hope you will enjoy this simple and delicious shrimp paella recipe and become your favorite home dish. Ingredients: Olive oil - 40 ml Rice - 480 g Garlic - 6 cloves Water - 3 cups Green peas - 1 handful Shrimp - to taste Lemons - 1 pc. Spices - 1 g Saffron to taste Tomatoes - 70 g

How to cook paella with shrimp

Chop the onion and garlic.

Lightly fry in olive oil in a deep frying pan.

Add tomatoes and add water. Season with salt, pepper and saffron and stir.

It is better to take long grain rice. I don't wash the rice.

Pour the rice into the pan and distribute it evenly, but do not stir! The broth should cover the rice. Bring to a boil and place shrimp on top of rice. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes on low heat.

Cut the olives into rings.

After 10 minutes, place peas and olive rings on the rice with shrimp. Cover again and increase heat to high for 1 minute. Then turn off the heat and leave the paella covered for 10-15 minutes.

Serve with lemon wedges. This is delicious! Bon appetit!

Paella recipe with seafood and chicken

Cooking time: 30-45 minutes.
Number of servings: 5-7 persons.
Calorie content of the dish: 289 kcal.
Purpose: for lunch.
Cuisine: Spanish.
Difficulty of preparation: easy.

To cook rice with chicken and seafood, you don’t need any complicated manipulations. This treat is prepared similarly to the usual pilaf, with the only difference being that seafood and chicken fillet are used instead of lamb. Otherwise, the process is very similar, so even a culinary novice can prepare delicious paella. It is best to simmer it in a deep cauldron with thick walls, like pilaf.

Ingredients:

round rice – 400 g;
chicken fillet – 250 g;
frozen sea cocktail – 400 g;
sweet pepper – 1 pc.;
tomatoes – 2-3 pcs.;
garlic – 3-4 cloves;
water or broth – 600-700 ml;
saffron – ½ tsp;
dry white wine – 50-70 ml;
salt, allspice - to taste.

Cooking method:

Heat some vegetable oil in a cauldron.
Cut the fillet into cubes, fry with chopped garlic until golden brown.
Separately, fry the seafood until excess moisture has evaporated.
Cut the tomatoes and peppers into cubes, add to the chicken, fry for 7-9 minutes.
Pour dry rice into the pan, fry for 2-3 minutes, then add seafood.
Fill the paella with broth, add spices and white wine.
After the rice boils, reduce the heat to low and simmer until tender without stirring.
Stir before serving.

Paella with seafood in a frying pan

Country-style paella is traditionally prepared outdoors. Serve in a frying pan with lemon slices and onion rings. Guests are provided with wooden cutlery. When cooking, mussels and shrimp are not peeled.

Components:

round Spanish rice – 250 g;
fish broth – 1 l;
Unrefined olive oil – 3 tbsp. l.;
large shrimps – 5-6 pcs.;
squid – 50 g;
black mussels (in shells) – 140 g;
pureed tomatoes – 200 pcs.;
green beans – 130 g;
saffron threads – 4 pcs.;
a couple of parsley branches;
ground pepper - a pinch;
chili pepper – ½ pod;
ground allspice - on the end of a knife;
young garlic – 4 cloves;
sea salt - at your discretion.

Cooking process step by step:

The garlic is peeled and the seafood is washed.
The oil is heating up in the frying pan. Garlic is placed in it and heated slightly so that the oil is saturated with aroma. After this, the teeth are removed.
The shrimp are strung on a skewer and placed in a frying pan. This technique was demonstrated by Hector Jimenez Bravo. This way it’s convenient to fry the shrimp not one at a time, but all at once for an appetizing crust.
Frozen mussels are placed in a saucepan without water, covered with a lid and heated for 3 minutes on fire. Next, the mussels are simmered over low heat for another 4 minutes, and they need to be stirred periodically to open their shells. Mussels with chips on the edges and surface of the valves should not be used for cooking.
Boiled mussels are sprinkled with lemon juice and transferred to the shrimp in a frying pan.
Boil the squid tentacles in a small amount of water for 2 minutes and lay them out separately. Prawns and mussels are also laid out from the frying pan. All seafood is placed in a warm place so that it does not have time to cool down.
Place tomato sauce in a frying pan and heat it up. Green beans and a little chili pepper are laid out in it. The mass is stewed for 2 minutes.
Pour 1 cup of broth into the pan and stir.
Next, pour out the rice. It is poured into a slide so that it rises 1.5 cm above the surface of the boiling broth.
Using a wooden spatula, smooth the rice over the surface, after which 2 cups of broth are poured in.
The paella is cooked for the first 5 minutes over high heat, then the temperature drops to medium, and then another 10 minutes over low heat.
During the process, the rice is stirred and tasted. If necessary, add dissolved saffron, ground red and allspice.
If necessary, more broth may be needed; you will need to add more.
When the rice is ready, add seafood to the pan. The dish is covered with a lid.
The heat is reduced and the dish is infused for 5 minutes.

When serving, paella is decorated with parsley and whole olives. Along with the treat, onions, lemon mugs and white wine are served.

Paella with seafood from Yulia Vysotskaya

Cooking time: 1 hour.
Number of servings: 3-4 persons.
Calorie content of the dish: 179 kcal.
Purpose: for lunch.
Cuisine: Spanish.
Difficulty of preparation: easy.

We present to you a recipe for paella with seafood from Yulia Vysotskaya. She shares how to prepare a treat quickly, and at the same time make it tasty and healthy. This recipe will especially appeal to those who are watching their figure - it can be classified as low-calorie due to the large number of vegetables. You can add your own favorite ingredients to customize your paella.

Ingredients:

shrimp – 15 pcs.;
celery (stems) – ¼ piece;
rice – 100 g;
carrots – 100 g;
bell pepper – 100 g;
garlic – 2-3 cloves;
salt, peppercorns - to taste;
tomato paste – 30-40 g;
lemon juice - for sprinkling.

Cooking method:

Boil the shrimp in salted water tinted with saffron, do not drain the broth.
Chop the vegetables into cubes and fry in a small amount of oil or water.
Add rice, spices, tomato paste, and shrimp broth.
Mix well, simmer over low heat until cooked.
Sprinkle with lemon juice before serving.

Sea cocktail paella

Cooking time: 45-55 minutes.
Number of servings: 2-3 persons.
Calorie content of the dish: 239 kcal.
Purpose: for lunch.
Cuisine: Spanish.
Difficulty of preparation: easy.

Paella with sea cocktail is prepared similarly to the classic recipe, but to prepare it you do not need to buy seafood separately - you can use the available mixture. This is a good alternative for quickly preparing a hearty dinner after a hard day at work. You should first defrost the seafood mixture and heat it a little in a thick-walled frying pan to evaporate excess moisture.

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Ingredients:

rice for paella – 130 g;
sweet pepper – ½ piece;
dried garlic – ½ tsp;
vegetable broth – 400 ml;
saffron – ½ tsp;
sea cocktail – 200 g;
parsley - to taste

Cooking method:

Prepare broth from any vegetables with spices.
Chop the pepper into thin strips.
Fry seafood with garlic until golden brown.
Add saffron and salt to taste.
Pour in the rice, mix well, pour in the broth.
Simmer under a closed lid until cooked, garnish with parsley.

With sea cocktail

Cooking paella with sea cocktail is practically no different from the classic recipe. The advantage is that in this case you don’t have to buy seafood products separately, but you can take a package already equipped with seafood.

As a rule, such a product is sold frozen, so before preparing the seafood cocktail, you need to defrost it and lightly heat it in a frying pan so that all excess moisture evaporates.

Ingredients:

packaging of sea cocktail (200 g);
150 g rice;
a pinch of saffron;
two glasses of vegetable broth;
Bell pepper;
a pinch of dried garlic.

Cooking method:

In a wide frying pan, fry the seafood together with chopped garlic until golden brown.
Then season them with saffron, add rice and thin strips of sweet pepper. Pour in the broth, which can be made from any vegetables.
Cover the pan with a lid and simmer the dish until cooked.

Paella with seafood - a simple recipe

Cooking time: 40-45 minutes.
Number of servings: 3-5 persons.
Calorie content of the dish: 236 kcal.
Purpose: for lunch.
Cuisine: Spanish.
Difficulty of preparation: easy.

If you haven’t cooked Spanish cuisine before, then a simple paella with seafood is a great option to try your hand at. All ingredients are available at any major store or supermarket. It is best to choose chilled, low-fat fish. Pollock, lemonema or peled are suitable, but if you wish, you can take any other type of fish that you like.

Ingredients:

rice – 1.5 cups;
shrimp – 300 g;
fish – 300 g;
canned peas – 200 g;
garlic – 2 cloves;
broth - 3 cups;
salt, pepper, saffron - to taste.

Cooking method:

Peel the shrimp and boil in broth with spices.
Fry garlic with finely chopped fish.
Add shrimp, rice, peas.
Mix well, pour in shrimp broth.
Simmer until the broth has completely evaporated.

How to cook “Spanish paella with seafood”

1. I peel the garlic and crush it with a knife, cutting it into small pieces. I wash the bell pepper, cut it open and remove seeds, cut it into large pieces, peel the onion and cut it into thin rings. I chop my parsley and stems finely, and put the curly part aside.

2. Wash the tomato and cut it into halves, grate each half on a coarse grater, and get tomato paste. I put a small pinch of saffron in a bowl and pour a small amount of boiling water over it.

3. I select two large shrimp and wash them under running water, without removing the shell, and remove the intestine.

4. I put a special frying pan for cooking paella on the fire, pour in olive oil and lay out freshly peeled shrimp, mussels and squid, fry everything for no more than 2-3 minutes.

5. Add previously peeled shallots and bell peppers to the pan, stir and cook for another 2 minutes, then add parsley stems and chopped garlic, remove the mussels.

6. Pour in the soaked saffron, add the tomato, add the shrimp broth, salt and pepper to taste. After boiling, add the rice, stir and cook for 15 minutes, add the remaining shrimp and cook for another 10 minutes.

7. Serve the finished paella directly in the pan, garnish with mussels, lemon and chopped parsley leaves. Bon appetit!

Paella with fish and seafood

Cooking time: 45-55 minutes.
Number of servings: 5 persons.
Calorie content of the dish: 218 kcal.
Purpose: for lunch.
Cuisine: Spanish.
Difficulty of preparation: easy.

Delicious paella with seafood and fish is easy and quick to prepare and has a delicate aroma. In addition, this is a healthy cocktail that contains proteins, iodine, minerals and omega-3 acids necessary for health. This treat is especially useful for women and people on a diet. It is recommended to consume seafood at least once a week to maintain the shine and strength of hair, nails and skin.

Ingredients:

frozen seafood cocktail – 250 g;
fish fillet – 250 g;
green beans – 200 g;
sweet pepper – 100 g;
tomatoes or tomato paste – 100 g;
dried garlic – 1 tsp;
round rice - 3 cups;
broth - 6 glasses;
salt, paprika, saffron - to taste.

Cooking method:

Fry seafood and fish for 2-3 minutes. Place the mixture in a separate bowl.
In the liquid that remains after cooking the fish, simmer the vegetables, chopped as you like. Add tomatoes or tomato paste and spices.
Pour in the rice, add 1 cup of broth, stir and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Gradually add broth until the rice is completely cooked.
Grind the herbs and garlic in a blender. Add some broth to make a sauce.
Pour the sauce over the finished paella. Serve to the table.

How to cook paella with seafood at home:

You can also do it in a frying pan. But it will be like pilaf, which is cooked not in a cauldron, but in a pan. Therefore, it is better to take a special paella pan, called Paellera.

Two main types of Paellera:

1. Paellera en acero pulido (polished steel paellera)

Valencians like their paella to be slightly charred in the center, so this pan is ideal for this purpose. But you will have to take the time to wash it later. After use and washing, be sure to grease this paellera with olive oil and store it in a closed bag to prevent it from oxidizing;

2. Paellera esmaltada (enamel paellera)

It’s easier to wash, but the chance of that slightly burnt crust is small.

In this article we will tell you step by step how to cook paella with seafood and vegetables at home.

Black paella with seafood

Cooking time: 1 hour.
Number of servings: 5-8 persons.
Calorie content of the dish: 325 kcal per 100 g.
Purpose: for lunch.
Cuisine: Spanish.
Difficulty of preparation: difficult.

How to cook black rice with cuttlefish ink? At first glance, this recipe may seem strange and inedible, but it is not so. Cuttlefish ink has a wide range of uses: it is used in medicine, used to make paint, and also added to dishes as a natural coloring. A distinctive feature of this substance is its specific salty marine taste.

Ingredients:

Bomba rice – 180 g;
king prawns – 4 pcs.;
almejas (molluscs) – 4 pcs.;
gambones – 4 pcs.;
langoustine – 4 pcs.;
canned peas – 20-50 g;
cuttlefish – 100 g;
cuttlefish ink – 5 g;
dried garlic – 1 tsp;
squid – 120-150 g;
fish broth – 700-750 ml;
saffron, spices - to taste.

Cooking method:

Heat olive oil, add dried garlic.
Fry almejas with langoustine and gambones in it.
Add finely chopped cuttlefish and squid, fry for 30 seconds and remove from heat.
In another pan, fry the shrimp.
Place the seafood mixture back on the stove, fill it with broth, and add cuttlefish ink.
As soon as the mixture boils, pour the rice into it and bring to a boil.
After 15-17 minutes, add herbs, spices, and peas.
Garnish with shrimp before serving.

Paella with tomatoes and seafood

The sunny, bright delicacy with the aroma of Spain comes out crumbly and juicy.

Necessary:

rice cereal – 500 g;
shrimp – 16 pcs.;
extra virgin olive oil – 50 ml;
bulb;
tomatoes – 3-4 pcs.;
garlic cloves – 5-6 pcs.;
drinking water – 3 glasses;
green peas – 3 tbsp. l.;
olives – 12-15 pcs.;
lemon;
natural saffron – 1 tsp;
sea salt and pepper powder - optional.
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Cooking algorithm:

The onion is chopped into small pieces, the garlic is chopped.
In a frying pan, fry the garlic and onion until golden.
Tomatoes are laid out there, water is poured in, salt, saffron and black pepper powder are poured in.
The rice is distributed over the entire surface and is not mixed.
The water will soon cover the rice.
As soon as the broth boils, shrimp in shells are laid out on the rice. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes over low heat.
The olives are cut into rings and served on rice along with green peas.
The dish is stewed for 5 minutes, and then infused with the lid closed for 15 minutes.

Serve with lemon or lime wedges, fresh vegetable salad and white wine.

Spices for paella

Properly selected spices for seafood paella will add a unique flavor to your dish. But you need to choose them very carefully, because not all seasonings are suitable for paella. You can buy a ready-made set of spices, but as practice shows, their composition is also different, so you need to choose correctly. The main thing is to achieve the ideal balance of aromas and tastes, then your culinary masterpiece will be appreciated.

The following spices and herbs are suitable for paella:

saffron (crushed or stigmas);
anise;
cardamom;
carnation;
Bell pepper;
turmeric;
curry;
tarragon;
Chile.

Depending on your taste preferences, you can combine different herbs and spices until you find the perfect blend. The only constant ingredient is saffron. It gives the same aroma and taste that is so praised and appreciated by lovers of Spanish cuisine. You should be careful with curry and anise - they have a very strong, specific aroma that can overpower the taste of paella.