The original paella recipe was shared with Down the Cove by chef Jon-Robert Fell, pictured with the pan. It combines rice, shellfish and fish. Prepare the ingredients before starting, then follow the sequence below so the rice and seafood are added at the appropriate stages.
Before you start
Use a wide, shallow pan and keep the stock ready. Different seafood pieces may need different cooking times.
What you'll need
Gather everything first, then the cooking feels calmer.
Cook along
Take it step by step; seafood rewards a calm hand.
- 1
Make sure the mussels and clams are well cleaned and prepared, discarding any that are open and won't close when tapped.
- 2
Fry the pancetta, chorizo, garlic, onion, red pepper, chilli, thyme and chicken together for about 5 minutes to release all the flavours.
- 3
Add the rice, smoked paprika and white wine and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat the grains.
- 4
Pour in the chicken stock and chopped tomatoes, stir in the saffron and peas, and cook for a further 10 minutes.
- 5
Add the mussels, clams and langoustines and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, until the shells have opened.
- 6
Paella loves to be tinkered with, so don't be precious about the ingredients. If squid isn't your thing, leave it out and add a little more of another seafood instead. We'd always say buy whatever looks freshest at the fishmonger's on the day and build the dish around that. A wide, shallow pan helps the rice cook evenly and gives you a better chance at that prized crispy layer on the bottom, the socarrat.
Serve it with
Bring the whole pan to the table so everyone can help themselves, scattered with parsley. Best cooked and eaten on the day while the rice still has its bite.
Common questions
- What's the best rice for paella?
- A short-grain Spanish rice like Calasparra or Bomba is ideal, as it drinks up all that lovely stock without turning mushy. Most supermarkets stock paella rice these days. At a push, a risotto rice like Arborio will do the job, though the texture is a touch creamier.
- Can I make seafood paella ahead of time?
- It's really best cooked and eaten on the day, as the rice loses its bite once it's been sitting around. You can get ahead by chopping everything and frying off the base earlier, then just finish it when your guests arrive.
- What seafood works well in paella?
- Mussels, clams, langoustines and squid are all classic, but prawns, scallops or a little firm white fish are all lovely too. Use whatever looks freshest and feel free to mix and match.
- How do I get the crispy layer on the bottom?
- That golden crust is called the socarrat, and it comes from leaving the paella undisturbed towards the end of cooking. Once the stock is nearly gone, turn the heat up for a minute or two and listen for a gentle crackle, but stop before it catches and burns.
- Do I need a special paella pan?
- It helps, but it isn't essential. The point of the wide, shallow shape is to spread the rice thinly so it cooks evenly. Your largest, widest frying pan will get you most of the way there.
