Ingredients
Tap each item as you gather it.
For the seafood
For the sofrito
For the rice
Method
Step by step, the way it is done there.
Sear the shrimp. Heat the olive oil in a real 14–16 inch (35–40 cm) paella pan (the wide, shallow pan is what makes the socarrat) over medium-high heat. Sear the shrimp 1 minute per side, just until they color, and set them aside.
Where to buy ↓ Cook the squid. In the same oil, cook the squid 3–4 minutes, until the liquid it releases has evaporated.
Make the sofrito. Add the onion and pepper and cook slowly over medium-low heat about 10 minutes, until soft and sweet. Add the garlic for 1 minute, then the grated tomato, and cook 8–10 minutes more, until it turns dark and jammy. Stir in the pimentón for a few seconds.
Toast the rice. Add the rice and stir it through the sofrito for 1–2 minutes so every grain is coated in oil.
Add the stock. Stir the crushed saffron and salt into the hot stock, pour it all into the pan and spread the rice into an even layer. Taste the liquid now; it should be well seasoned. From here on, do not stir.
Cook. Boil on high heat for 8–10 minutes. Press the clams and mussels into the rice, lower the heat to medium-low and cook another 8–10 minutes, until the rice has absorbed the stock and the shells have opened (throw away any that stay closed). Lay the shrimp on top for the last few minutes.
Make the socarrat. When the liquid is gone, turn the heat up for 1–2 minutes. You will hear the rice crackle and smell it toasting; that is the socarrat forming. Stop before it smells burnt.
Rest and serve. Take the pan off the heat, cover it with a clean kitchen towel and rest 5–10 minutes. Scatter parsley and serve straight from the pan with lemon wedges.
