My first time to share about recipes. But the first time I posted my Spanish paella in Facebook I received several request to share the recipe. As you can see the pandemic change our lifestyle a great deal not to exaggerate the lockdown, we only can dream about traveling . I remember two summers ago my family and I spent a wonderful time in Spain. We enjoyed that summer in 2019 in Madrid and Barcelona. We had precious memories we cherished so much every single day . So this holiday to add a little sparkle to the celebration I chose to make the Spanish Paella specifically seafoods paella. Here’s my Spanish PAELLA de MARISCO Recipe ( Seafood Paella).

Ingredients : (1) big box Seafood broth 2 lb./907g; ( 8tbsps.) olive oil; ( 10 PCs.) mussels open face or whole; ( 12 PCs) jumbo shrimps ; (1 sachet) paella seasoning w/ saffron , I used Paellero Brand product of Spain; ( 1 ) medium size red bell pepper; ( 1 tsp) minced garlic; ( 1 ) medium onion, chopped; ( 1 ) large fresh tomatoes, chopped; ( 6 ) scallions, chopped; ( 2 tsp.)) sweet smoked paprika; ( 2 tsp.) turmeric powder ; ( 2tsp.) saffron; ( 1-1/2 cup) Bomba paella rice or Calaspara paella rice; sea salt to taste; ( 15 PCs.) scallops; ( 6 oz.) Calamari Rings, Panapesca brand frozen.

Preparation: – Heat 8 tbsps of oil in 15” paella pan ( I use enameled paella easy to clean and doesn’t rust no upkeep or pre treatment cheaper than steel pan) over medium heat , sprinkle a dash of sea salt and quickly brown the calamari rings 1-2 minutes. Do not fully cook. Remove to warm platter. Add onions, garlic, bell pepper and scallions to paella pan and cook until veggies are slightly softened. Raise heat, add chopped tomatoes and cook until it becomes sauce- like, 2-5 minutes. Sprinkle the rice toast a little bit in the pan. Pour in the seafood broth , sprinkle the paella seasonings, smoked paprika, turmeric powder, saffron previously seated mixed in 1/4 cup hot water. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring rice and rotating the pan .( FYI!! At this point I put the two burners on together so the fire will cover wide the whole pan since we are cooking in the stove burner. Ideally, the Paella Stove burner is used since its wide fire. The technique is that to rotate the pan to cook evenly .) Taste for salt. Do not stir after this point. Lower the heat, Add the previously set aside calamari and arrange the shrimps, remaining red bell pepper , mussels and scallops over rice. Cook uncovered and rotate the pan 20-25 minutes until rice is almost done. Make sure to make the Socarrat to make an authentic paella.

The secret of making Paella Socarrat without going to Barcelona……although for me Barcelona makes everything better. All chef has secrets, but I can’t resist to share it to you so you will taste that exquisite caramelized layer of delicious paella rice between pan and paella, which turn a paella from a simple dish to a miracle. The secret is to find balance , experimenting with addition of fat when frying various ingredients in paella. Be careful with liquid. Liquid is the worst enemy of paella and socarrat ( as long as there is liquid nothing will fry). There are many factors that need to be controlled, that’s why you only use two kinds of rice Bomba or Calaspara Paella rice. Nothing more. First, completely dehydrate the sauce. It is important to cook it slowly until it loses 90% of its liquid. We want to keep the flavor, but get rid of the water. That is the reason we want this two choices of rice only for our paella, this doesn’t need lots of liquid to cook. Plus don’t overdo the drama for the number of ingredients. If you put a lot of mussels and shrimps in the rice, you will overload it.

Socarrat is not a burnt portion of the dish. We are looking for a pleasant brown color with a delicious taste, but not soot, which can cause the whole dish to taste bitter. The fire must be adjusted and well distributed. Proper distribution of the heat source helps prepare famous paella with socarrat. Watch your rice carefully when it dries. You can identify this moment when the noise changes from gurgling to hissing, that I learned well. Put the fire on medium high for 60 secs. Pay attention to the fumes to ensure it is frying, not burning. And finally, cook it with love for yourself and those closest to your heart. Enjoy!