Spanish Seafood Paella

Steps

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1. 1
   Prepare the squid: cut 300 g of squid into small pieces.
   ▶ ≈0:08
2. 2
   Heat olive oil in a paella pan (or large flat pan) and add salt—this helps prevent food from sticking.
   ▶ ≈0:16
3. 3
   Sauté the squid for about 1 minute, then transfer to a plate.
   ▶ ≈0:30
4. 4
   Similarly sauté 300 g of shrimp for 2 minutes and transfer to a plate. Pre-cooking seafood removes any frozen taste and flavours the dish.
   ▶ ≈0:47
5. 5
   Sauté the 6 jumbo shrimp for 1 minute per side until they turn pink, then set aside for garnishing.
   ▶ ≈1:06
6. 6
   Slice 1 onion roughly and cut 1 red bell pepper into small cubes. (You can use chili peppers instead for extra heat if desired.)
   ▶ ≈1:39
7. 7
   Add a little more oil if needed, then sauté the onion and pepper until translucent and soft.
   ▶ ≈2:04
8. 8
   Mince 3 garlic cloves, add to the pan, and stir until onions and peppers are fully softened and translucent.
   ▶ ≈2:21
9. 9
   Add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and 100 ml of tomato coulis, stirring well to combine.
   ▶ ≈2:33
10. 10
    Season with salt, black pepper, chili powder, and paprika, mixing well.
    ▶ ≈2:49
11. 11
    Pour in 1.2 litres of fish stock (or water), add a few saffron threads, and stir.
    ▶ ≈3:09
12. 12
    Stir in 750 g of round-grain rice and 80 g of peas, then add back the pre-cooked shrimp and squid.
    ▶ ≈3:32
13. 13
    (Optional) You can add chicken (legs or cubed breast) for extra flavour.
    ▶ ≈3:53
14. 14
    Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes without stirring, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid and cook through.
    ▶ ≈4:00
15. 15
    Once the rice has absorbed most of the liquid, arrange the jumbo shrimp and mussels decoratively on top and cook for 5 more minutes until the mussels open.
    ▶ ≈4:06
16. 16
    Top with lemon wedges, remove from heat, cover the pan with aluminium foil, and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
    ▶ ≈4:22