How to make a true Spanish Paella

When I was travelling through Spain, I learned 3 important things. First: Never put your most important things in your luggage. (It got lost for the first two days until the airline found it and brought it back) Second: Never underestimate what the internet says. (There's a reason why people warned about the strong Atlantic waves on the northern coast) Third: The recipe for Paella

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients (2–4 people)

• 2 cups short-grain rice (Bomba or Arborio works)

• 4 cups chicken or seafood stock

• 200g shrimp (peeled)

• 200g mussels (cleaned)

• 150g squid rings (optional but great)

• 1 small onion (chopped)

• 2 cloves garlic (minced)

• 1 tomato (grated or finely chopped)

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• Pinch of saffron (the golden magic)

• Olive oil

• Salt

• Optional: peas, lemon wedges

Steps

1. Heat the stage

   
   

   Add olive oil to a wide pan (or paella pan if you’ve got one). Medium heat.

2. Build flavor

   
   

   Sauté onion until soft, then garlic for ~30 seconds.

3. Tomato + spices

   
   

   Add tomato, paprika, saffron. Cook until it thickens slightly

4. Rice goes in

   
   

   Add rice and stir for a minute so it soaks up everything.

5. Pour the stock

   
   

   Add all the stock. Shake the pan gently to spread things out.

   
   

   Stop stirring here

6. Seafood time

   
   

   After ~10 minutes, place shrimp, mussels, and squid on top.

7. Let it simmer

   
   

   Cook ~15–20 minutes total until liquid is absorbed.

8. Socarrat moment 

   
   

   Turn heat up slightly for the last 1–2 minutes to crisp the bottom

9. Rest & serve

   
   

   Let it rest 5 minutes, then add lemon wedges, and you're done.

Enjoy!!!