Paella is one of the most popular dishes in Spanish cuisine. There are more than 300 varieties of it. The treat is traditionally prepared from rice with the addition of saffron, olive oil and other ingredients. Many people think that seafood paella is a very difficult dish for beginners, but this is not so.

How to cook paella at home

Cooking paella takes about an hour, taking into account the preparation of ingredients, so it cannot be called a quick dish. But it’s perfect for lunch on a weekend. The list of ingredients may vary depending on the recipe, but the main ones will always include seafood, rice and aromatic saffron. Spanish chefs use a special frying pan called a paellera. It is a large, heavy metal bowl with a flat bottom and low sides. For home cooking, a regular cast iron frying pan with a flat bottom will do.

What kind of rice is needed for paella?

It is important to choose the right rice for paella so that the dish turns out really tasty. Ideal options would be Spanish round-grain varieties of this crop, such as bomba or arborio, but not everyone has access to them. As an alternative, you can use any other round rice, except for basmati and jasmine varieties - they do not absorb moisture well and are not suitable for aromatic Spanish dishes. Cooks generally do not recommend adding long rice to paella.

Paella with seafood - recipe with photos

For the first time, it is better to choose a recipe for paella with seafood that is as close as possible to the classic one. The dish is prepared by analogy with Uzbek pilaf: first, vegetables are sauteed, fish and other seafood are fried, rice is added and everything is simmered over low heat. It is important to follow the recommendations for the duration of processing of ingredients: overcooked squids become tough and unpleasant to the taste, and shrimp become tough. An essential component is saffron, which gives rice its characteristic golden color.

Classic Spanish seafood paella

• Cooking time: 1 hour.
• Number of servings: 8-12 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 238 kcal.
• Purpose: for lunch.
• Cuisine: Spanish.

It’s hard to figure out which paella recipe is classic. According to legend, this Spanish pilaf contains not only seafood, but also meat, poultry and vegetables. However, the version with seafood is considered to be a classic paella. Residents of Valencia say that you will never, under any circumstances, find a single onion in paella. Otherwise, some ingredients can be replaced, leaving the base of the dish unchanged.

Ingredients:

• squid – 300 g;
• shrimp, mussels, scallops – 300 g;
• tomatoes – 150 g;
• green peas – 100 g;
• garlic – 2-3 cloves;
• white wine – 100 g;
• Short grain rice – 1.5 tbsp.;
• saffron – 1 pinch.

Cooking method:

1. Peel the shrimp, mussels, scallops (do not throw away the shells, make broth from them).
2. Prepare broth from shells, garlic, spices. Pour these ingredients into 500 ml of water and cook for 20-25 minutes.
3. Pour 2 tablespoons of water over the saffron. Let it brew.
4. Fry the seafood cocktail in oil, add finely grated garlic.
5. Season with salt and pepper and add squid cut into half rings.
6. Cut the tomatoes into medium-sized cubes or grate them (remove the peel).
7. Lightly fry the seafood mixture, after 5-10 minutes add the tomatoes and peas.
8. Pour the rice into the pan, stir well and pour in the broth and white wine.
9. After 10-15 minutes, season with saffron and simmer until done.

Paella with seafood - recipe in a slow cooker

• Cooking time: 30-50 minutes.
• Calorie content of the dish: 198 kcal.
• Purpose: for lunch.
• Cuisine: Italian.

Progress does not stand still; new miracles of technology are appearing in the kitchen. They help prepare tasty and healthy food, such as aromatic paella with seafood in a slow cooker. This traditional dish in Spain is usually served only for lunch. It is believed that a mixture of seafood and meat is very difficult to digest in the evening, and even more so before bed.

Ingredients:

• fresh bell pepper – 120 g;
• round rice – 300 g;
• sea ​​cocktail – 500 g;
• chicken fillet – 250 g;
• garlic – 3-4 cloves;
• saffron – 1 pinch;
• salt, pepper - to taste;
• olive oil – 2 tbsp. l.;
• lemon – 60-70 g.

Cooking method:

1. Heat a small amount of oil in a multicooker bowl and fry seafood in it.
2. When a golden crust begins to appear on them, add chopped garlic and thinly sliced ​​pepper.
3. After 5-8 minutes, add finely chopped chicken fillet, saffron, and spices.
4. After another 10 minutes, add dry rice, mix everything well, pour in 1 glass of water or broth.
5. Turn on the multicooker to the “Pilaf” or “Rice” mode and simmer until done. Sprinkle lightly with lemon juice before serving.

Paella with shrimp

• Number of servings: 4-6 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 197 kcal.
• Purpose: for lunch.
• Cuisine: Spanish.
• Difficulty of preparation: medium.

If you are not a big fan of sea life (mussels, squid), then the shrimp paella recipe will be an excellent alternative for you. This dish is no less tasty than the classic one; it can be varied with a large number of your favorite vegetables and meat additives. If desired, you can use fish or vegetable broth, which will add even more rich aroma and flavor to the rice.

Ingredients:

• bell pepper – 1 pc.;
• garlic – 3-4 cloves;
• saffron – 1 pinch;
• round rice – 300 g;
• peeled shrimp – 400 g;
• canned corn - to taste;
• broth - 1 l;
• parsley - to taste;
• white wine – 50 ml;
• tomatoes – 2-3 pcs.;
• salt, pepper, lemon juice - to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Chop the sweet pepper into thin strips and chop the garlic into small pieces.
2. Remove the skin from the tomatoes and cut them into cubes.
3. Saute the peppers and garlic for 3-5 minutes, then add rice, saffron, and spices to them.
4. After 5-7 minutes, add tomatoes, water, shrimp, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low.
5. 5-10 minutes before cooking, pour white wine into the dish, add herbs and corn.

Paella recipe with seafood and chicken

• Cooking time: 30-45 minutes.
• Number of servings: 5-7 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 289 kcal.
• Purpose: for lunch.
• Cuisine: Spanish.
• Difficulty of preparation: easy.

To cook rice with chicken and seafood, you don’t need any complicated manipulations. This treat is prepared similarly to the usual pilaf, with the only difference being that seafood and chicken fillet are used instead of lamb. Otherwise, the process is very similar, so even a culinary novice can prepare delicious paella. It is best to simmer it in a deep cauldron with thick walls, like pilaf.

Ingredients:

• round rice – 400 g;
• chicken fillet – 250 g;
• frozen sea cocktail – 400 g;
• sweet pepper – 1 pc.;
• tomatoes – 2-3 pcs.;
• garlic – 3-4 cloves;
• water or broth – 600-700 ml;
• saffron – ½ tsp;
• dry white wine – 50-70 ml;
• salt, allspice - to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Heat some vegetable oil in a cauldron.
2. Cut the fillet into cubes, fry with chopped garlic until golden brown.
3. Separately, fry the seafood until excess moisture has evaporated.
4. Cut the tomatoes and peppers into cubes, add to the chicken, fry for 7-9 minutes.
5. Pour dry rice into the pan, fry for 2-3 minutes, then add seafood.
6. Fill the paella with broth, add spices and white wine.
7. After the rice boils, reduce the heat to low and simmer until tender without stirring.
8. Stir before serving.

Paella with seafood from Yulia Vysotskaya

• Cooking time: 1 hour.
• Number of servings: 3-4 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 179 kcal.
• Purpose: for lunch.
• Cuisine: Spanish.
• Difficulty of preparation: easy.

We present to you a recipe for paella with seafood from Yulia Vysotskaya. She shares how to prepare a treat quickly, and at the same time make it tasty and healthy. This recipe will especially appeal to those who are watching their figure - it can be classified as low-calorie due to the large number of vegetables. You can add your own favorite ingredients to customize your paella.

Ingredients:

• shrimp – 15 pcs.;
• celery (stems) – ¼ piece;
• rice – 100 g;
• carrots – 100 g;
• bell pepper – 100 g;
• garlic – 2-3 cloves;
• salt, peppercorns - to taste;
• tomato paste – 30-40 g;
• lemon juice - for sprinkling.

Cooking method:

1. Boil the shrimp in salted water tinted with saffron, do not drain the broth.
2. Chop the vegetables into cubes and fry in a small amount of oil or water.
3. Add rice, spices, tomato paste, and shrimp broth.
4. Mix well, simmer over low heat until cooked.
5. Sprinkle with lemon juice before serving.

Sea cocktail paella

• Cooking time: 45-55 minutes.
• Number of servings: 2-3 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 239 kcal.
• Purpose: for lunch.
• Cuisine: Spanish.
• Difficulty of preparation: easy.

Paella with sea cocktail is prepared similarly to the classic recipe, but to prepare it you do not need to buy seafood separately - you can use the available mixture. This is a good alternative for quickly preparing a hearty dinner after a hard day at work. You should first defrost the seafood mixture and heat it a little in a thick-walled frying pan to evaporate excess moisture.

Ingredients:

• rice for paella – 130 g;
• sweet pepper – ½ piece;
• dried garlic – ½ tsp;
• vegetable broth – 400 ml;
• saffron – ½ tsp;
• sea ​​cocktail – 200 g;
• parsley - to taste

Cooking method:

1. Prepare broth from any vegetables with spices.
2. Chop the pepper into thin strips.
3. Fry seafood with garlic until golden brown.
4. Add saffron and salt to taste.
5. Pour in the rice, mix well, pour in the broth.
6. Simmer under a closed lid until cooked, garnish with parsley.

Paella with seafood - a simple recipe

• Cooking time: 40-45 minutes.
• Number of servings: 3-5 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 236 kcal.
• Purpose: for lunch.
• Cuisine: Spanish.
• Difficulty of preparation: easy.

If you haven’t cooked Spanish cuisine before, then a simple paella with seafood is a great option to try your hand at. All ingredients are available at any major store or supermarket. It is best to choose chilled, low-fat fish. Pollock, lemonema or peled are suitable, but if you wish, you can take any other type of fish that you like.

Ingredients:

• rice – 1.5 cups;
• shrimp – 300 g;
• fish – 300 g;
• canned peas – 200 g;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• broth - 3 cups;
• salt, pepper, saffron - to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Peel the shrimp and boil in broth with spices.
2. Fry garlic with finely chopped fish.
3. Add shrimp, rice, peas.
4. Mix well, pour in shrimp broth.
5. Simmer until the broth has completely evaporated.

Paella with fish and seafood

• Cooking time: 45-55 minutes.
• Number of servings: 5 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 218 kcal.
• Purpose: for lunch.
• Cuisine: Spanish.
• Difficulty of preparation: easy.

Delicious paella with seafood and fish is easy and quick to prepare and has a delicate aroma. In addition, this is a healthy cocktail that contains proteins, iodine, minerals and omega-3 acids necessary for health. This treat is especially useful for women and people on a diet. It is recommended to consume seafood at least once a week to maintain the shine and strength of hair, nails and skin.

Ingredients:

• frozen seafood cocktail – 250 g;
• fish fillet – 250 g;
• green beans – 200 g;
• sweet pepper – 100 g;
• tomatoes or tomato paste – 100 g;
• dried garlic – 1 tsp;
• round rice - 3 cups;
• broth - 6 glasses;
• salt, paprika, saffron - to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Fry seafood and fish for 2-3 minutes. Place the mixture in a separate bowl.
2. In the liquid that remains after cooking the fish, simmer the vegetables, chopped as you like. Add tomatoes or tomato paste and spices.
3. Pour in the rice, add 1 cup of broth, stir and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
4. Gradually add broth until the rice is completely cooked.
5. Grind the herbs and garlic in a blender. Add some broth to make a sauce.
6. Pour the sauce over the finished paella. Serve to the table.

Black paella with seafood

• Cooking time: 1 hour.
• Number of servings: 5-8 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 325 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: for lunch.
• Cuisine: Spanish.
• Difficulty of preparation: difficult.

How to cook black rice with cuttlefish ink? At first glance, this recipe may seem strange and inedible, but it is not so. Cuttlefish ink has a wide range of uses: it is used in medicine, used to make paint, and also added to dishes as a natural coloring. A distinctive feature of this substance is its specific salty marine taste.

Ingredients:

• Bomba rice – 180 g;
• king prawns – 4 pcs.;
• almejas (molluscs) – 4 pcs.;
• gambones – 4 pcs.;
• langoustine – 4 pcs.;
• canned peas – 20-50 g;
• cuttlefish – 100 g;
• cuttlefish ink – 5 g;
• dried garlic – 1 tsp;
• squid – 120-150 g;
• fish broth – 700-750 ml;
• saffron, spices - to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Heat olive oil, add dried garlic.
2. Fry almejas with langoustine and gambones in it.
3. Add finely chopped cuttlefish and squid, fry for 30 seconds and remove from heat.
4. In another pan, fry the shrimp.
5. Place the seafood mixture back on the stove, fill it with broth, and add cuttlefish ink.
6. As soon as the mixture boils, pour the rice into it and bring to a boil.
7. After 15-17 minutes, add herbs, spices, and peas.
8. Garnish with shrimp before serving.

Spices for paella

Properly selected spices for seafood paella will add a unique flavor to your dish. But you need to choose them very carefully, because not all seasonings are suitable for paella. You can buy a ready-made set of spices, but as practice shows, their composition is also different, so you need to choose correctly. The main thing is to achieve the ideal balance of aromas and tastes, then your culinary masterpiece will be appreciated.

The following spices and herbs are suitable for paella:

• saffron (crushed or stigmas);
• anise;
• cardamom;
• carnation;
• Bell pepper;
• turmeric;
• curry;
• tarragon;
• Chile.

Depending on your taste preferences, you can combine different herbs and spices until you find the perfect blend. The only constant ingredient is saffron. It gives the same aroma and taste that is so praised and appreciated by lovers of Spanish cuisine. You should be careful with curry and anise - they have a very strong, specific aroma that can overpower the taste of paella.

Video: Spanish paella

Spanish paella- an appetizing dish of fluffy rice with seafood, chicken, and vegetables. Paella is cooked in a wide paellera frying pan and be sure to add olive oil, saffron spice, and hot broth. It is interesting that the Valencians were the first to prepare this dish and added rabbit meat to the rice rather than traditional seafood. Nowadays, there are more than three hundred recipes for Spanish paella, for the preparation of which chicken, beef, pork, as well as squid, shrimp, mussels, scallops, oysters and other seafood are used. But gourmets who are well acquainted with Spanish cuisine will probably tell you that classic paella must include at least several varieties of fish or seafood, chicken, herbs, tomatoes, saffron, and white wine.

According to the classic recipe, you first need to heat a wide frying pan, and then thoroughly fry the pieces of meat and vegetables in olive oil with finely chopped onion. At the same time, start cooking the chicken (or fish) broth. When the pieces of meat and vegetables are thoroughly fried, add rice to the pan and pour in hot broth. All ingredients are simmered over low heat in boiling broth, gradually becoming saturated with its aroma. From this material you will learn how to properly prepare homemade paella according to the classic recipe with photos of each stage, but first, read some useful tips from a Spanish chef.

♦ USEFUL TIPS

❶ The Spaniards cook paella in a special paella, but it is enough to use a flat and widest possible frying pan, since the rice must be poured in an even 2-centimeter layer so that it does not boil while the broth is evaporating;

❷ To prepare a juicy homemade dish, it is advisable to use Spanish varieties of rice (Iberica, Bahia, Calasparra, Senia, Bomba), but varieties such as Carnaroli or Arborio (for risotto), which can be easily found on the shelves of our supermarkets, are also quite suitable. It is important that all grains of rice are the same color, the same size and without any husk residue;

❸ If you want to buy squid as a seafood for preparing a dish, then choose medium-sized specimens, since the meat of large squid will be quite tough after cooking. The recipe ingredients list may include king prawns, but you can also choose regular dwarf or tiger prawns instead;

❹ Instead of mussels, you can use other shellfish to make paella, but it is advisable to choose fresh seafood. It is not necessary to remove the contents of the shells, since the shells will still open in the boiling broth. They can be placed on cooked rice to make the dish more aesthetically pleasing;

❺ To prepare a Spanish dish, use only high-quality olive oil (Extra Virgin), but under no circumstances add sunflower oil, much less butter, to the pan;

❻ To prepare homemade paella according to the classic recipe, you must use saffron. It is ideal if you can buy saffron of the Spanish Coupe variety with excellent taste and delicate aroma. In any case, try to find on the spice shelf the unground tops of crocus stigmas (they sink when immersed in water) without the yellow “legs”. If only ground saffron is on sale, then the water after adding the powder to it should turn a rich red-orange color (not yellow);

❼ Some paella recipes call for adding good wine to the rice. Use only dry white wine, preheated to a temperature of 70 °C.

♦ CLASSIC RECIPE FOR PREPARING SPANISH PAELLA

Ingredients:

· Rice of a suitable variety - 150 g;

· Peeled tiger shrimp 16/20 - 8 pcs.;

· Tiger shrimp 8/12 with head - 2 pcs.;

· Cuttlefish - 100 gr.;

· Mussels - 4 pcs.;

· Cleaned small squids - 120 gr.;

· Tomatoes - 3 pcs.;

· Bell pepper - 1 pc.;

· Garlic - 3 cloves;

· Parsley - 5 gr.;

· Shallots - 20 gr.;

Lemon - 1/2 part;

· Saffron - 0.2 g;

· Shrimp broth - 500 gr.;

· Olive oil - 50 ml.;

· Water - 50 ml.

Preparation:

In the photo: step-by-step recipe

♦ HOW TO COOK PAELLA WITH SEAFOOD, CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES

♦ HOW TO COOK VEGETABLE PAELLA

- click on the photo and expand the recipe

♦ HOW TO COOK PAELLA WITH PRAWNS

- click on the photo and expand the recipe

♦ VIDEO RECIPES

To answer the question of what paella is, you need to look into the depths of centuries, rummage through the past and unearth certain historical events.

Valencian culinary legend

In the 8th century, Arabs came to the small Mediterranean fishing village of El Palmarraion. As soon as the Iberian Peninsula submitted to their power, direct indications appeared of who was boss: the lands around the mentioned settlement were sown with rice - marshy and rich in water due to certain geographical features (the village is separated from the sea by a small sandy strip), they gave magnificent harvest. Over time, the plantations of this cereal grew to the scale of almost all of Valencia, Catalonia, Andalusia - today the volume of rice grown is more than enough for the whole of Spain, and there is also some left for export (300 tons are sold to neighbors every year).

But that's today. And in the 13th century, when Christians finally managed to expel Muslims from the territory of what is now Valencia, a brutal war was declared on everything that did not fit into the standards of Spanish culture - including rice: the cultivation of cereals was prohibited. But then an unexpected failure occurred: over several centuries, people got used to rice, and it turned out to be impossible to refuse an affordable and convenient crop.

It was prepared often, a lot and everywhere. Those who were richer added fish and meat to their rice; those who did not have the finances to buy good fish and large shrimp got mussels, snails, small fish and vegetables. This is how the famous paella was born - a dish that is served with equal regularity both in expensive restaurants and for dinner in poor fishing villages. A dish that can be prepared pompously and luxuriously or modestly and ordinaryly. A dish that everyone likes because it can be adapted to suit every taste.

However, the helpful Spaniards have come up with something interesting for lovers of beautiful legends. They say that paella was born during the Arab conquest - after the luxurious dinners of the Moorish kings, there was a sea of ​​leftovers. Half-starved and simply poor, the Spaniards collected everything that was left, putting it in any way and anywhere. This is how paella appeared - a dish that combines everything possible: seafood and fish, meat, vegetables, and cereals.

However, if you don't like this version, there is another one. According to it, in one of the fishing villages an unlucky lover was waiting for a beautiful girl to visit. I waited and waited and decided to prepare something for the table. Having no special cooking skills, he simply mixed what he found in the pantry - and that’s how paella appeared, “para ella,” that is, “for her.”

Well, if you are very picky, and none of the tales told impressed you, you can listen to the third one. They say that a long time ago, in one of the Valencian towns, a certain important person was expected to visit. Poor residents brought what they had to the central square - someone brought a ham, someone shared fish, someone found chicken, tomatoes, and beans. All the collected “wealth” was thrown into one huge frying pan, mixed with rice, seasoned with saffron and stewed. It turned out unexpectedly delicious!

What is paella: the most important thing

However, legends are legends, but the truth is most likely quite primitive and uncomplicated: when you don’t have much extra money, you cook from what you have. So the peasants of Valencia cooked, hastily throwing into one frying pan what they found in the bins. Over time, even when the need moved aside, the familiar dish remained - now it is served in Michelin-starred restaurants, it is treated to guests, and it is prepared for the family.

As with any folk recipe, it is almost impossible to derive a single formula for preparing paella. Ask the owner of a roadside cafe where passing drivers like to have a snack: she will tell you that real paella is impossible without mussels. And the wife of the owner of the hotel where you are staying will object that the main thing in paella is the combination of fish and chicken. Her neighbor will cook this dish with the obligatory green beans, and the neighbor’s friend will buy fresh rabbit meat for paella at the market. And this is only within one city!

As often happens, after the ban on rice cultivation, paella became even more popular - we can say that by the beginning of the 19th century, the dish had become the famous calling card of the region and remains so to this day.

So what is paella, besides the fact that it is a symbol of Spain? Let's figure it out. The very name of the dish (Paella) means “frying pan” - it is prepared only in this dish, without alternatives. The basis of the dish is, of course, rice. The pan should be wide and flat: the wider the better, the layer of rice should not be higher than 2 cm. Depending on the region and the culinary preferences of a particular housewife, meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables are added to paella.

In the general variety of recipes, two factors remain unchanged: a frying pan, always large and with a flat bottom, and rice. Everything else is pure creativity, although, of course, placed within a certain framework.

What kind of rice should you use for paella?

Given the origins of the dish, it is reasonable to assume that the most successful varieties of rice for preparing paella will be Spanish. We are talking about round-grain varieties: bomba is considered ideal; as an alternative, you can take arborio or carnaroli - with them the paella will also turn out soft and juicy.

The usual rice of the jasmine or basmatti varieties, alas, almost does not absorb moisture, for this reason you cannot cook porridge with it, that is, you cannot cook paella.
Long grain rice is generally not suitable for making paella.

Paella - a classic recipe with chicken and seafood

Did you know that real paella is a purely lunch dish? Traditionally, it is not prepared for dinner, but is served only during the day. If a restaurant offers you paella after hours, most likely it will be a low-quality establishment or just reheated food.

Well, and Spanish paella. If any recipe can be called more or less classic, then perhaps this is it. The dish is rich, bright in taste, very rich and widespread. Wider than any other paella option.

Ingredients:
150 g rice;
2-3 cm chili pepper;
3-4 tomatoes;
2-3 cloves of garlic;
1 onion;
3 tbsp. l. olive oil;
200 g chorizo ​​sausage;
1 chicken breast;
300 g white sea fish;
200 g shrimp;
300 g squid;
400 g of fresh mussels in shells;
300 ml broth;
200 ml dry white wine;
turmeric, salt, paprika to taste.

Heat the olive oil well in a wide, flat frying pan. Throw in the finely chopped garlic, after a couple of seconds add the diced onion. Fry until translucent, add peeled and sliced ​​tomatoes, and then thin rings of chili pepper.

Place the diced chicken fillet in a frying pan, cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring, then add chorizo ​​circles, pieces of fish, squid rings, unpeeled shrimp and mussels. Simmer for 5-8 minutes, then add rice, add salt, turmeric and paprika, stir, add wine and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until the liquid has completely evaporated.

Serve with lemons and fresh herbs.

Seafood paella

Did you know that the most authentic seafood paella is prepared with unpeeled shells, mussels and other living creatures? Let us remember: initially it was just a simple food for ordinary people, no one went too crazy when preparing and peeling small shrimp for a family of 10-15 people. Fast and affordable - this is the motto of real paella, so the seafood came to the table almost in its natural form.

If you, like the vast majority of ordinary people, do not have the opportunity to collect fresh mussels for dinner, go to the supermarket for a seafood cocktail - of course, this is not the kind of paella that you can be proud of and brag about, but cook it for dinner and enjoy eating it is quite real.

Ingredients:
300-350 g frozen sea cocktail;
250-300 g fillet of white sea fish (hake, pollock and the like);
2-3 tbsp. l. olive oil;
1 sweet pepper;
3-4 ripe tomatoes;
1 large onion;
2 cups rice;
50 ml dry white wine;
2 cups broth;
2 cloves of garlic;
saffron, salt, paprika, parsley to taste.

Heat the oil in a thick-bottomed frying pan, lightly fry the garlic and onion chopped into small cubes and add the frozen seafood cocktail. As soon as the seafood is defrosted and the juice is released, add the chopped fish and simmer a little. Place peeled and sliced ​​tomatoes and peppers into strips. After a minute, add rice, add wine, stir, salt, add spices, and then pour in broth. Cook over low heat until the liquid has completely evaporated, serve with herbs and vegetables.

Paella with chicken and chicken hearts

The mysterious day Thursday has long been known in our country as fish day; in Sweden, for example, it is the day of pea soup and pancakes, and in Spain it is paella day. Traditionally, in wealthy families it was the servants' day off, so the nobles dined out. The chefs, of course, tried to attract customers, so they put all their talents into preparing everyone's favorite paella. You don't have to wait until Thursday to make rice with chicken and chicken hearts - this paella is sure to please!

Ingredients:
400 g chicken fillet;
300 g chicken hearts;
700 ml broth (chicken or vegetable);
250 g rice;
3 tbsp. l. olive oil;
4 tomatoes;
1 onion;
1 bell pepper;
100 g olives;
50 g tomato sauce;
salt, pepper, spices to taste.

Pour oil into a heated frying pan and fry the diced onion. Place chicken fillet, cut into cubes, and hearts, cut into circles. Lightly fry and add sweet peppers chopped into strips and tomatoes in slices, the skins of which have previously been peeled. After 5-7 minutes, add olives, add any tomato sauce, mix, lay out rice, salt, add spices to taste. Pour in the broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until the liquid evaporates.

Spanish paella with chicken and rabbit

Do you know what a soccarate is? Chefs whose skill reaches special heights can cook paella so that at the very bottom of the pan a crispy brown crust of fried rice forms. It’s a special pleasure to take a special spoon (yes, there is a separate spoon for soccarata!) and scrape off the delicacy... You may not be able to immediately cook paella with rabbit and chicken so that a slightly burnt crust forms in the pan, but the dish is still will be the most beautiful!

Ingredients:
1 kg chicken meat (with bones);
1 kg rabbit (with bones);
4 tomatoes;
3-4 tbsp. l. olive oil;
2 onions;
500 g rice;
200 g green beans;
100 g of young green peas;
2.5-3 liters of water;
saffron, salt, pepper to taste.

Heat the oil in a wide frying pan, lightly fry the onion, lay out the chicken and rabbit cut into portions, brown on all sides. Add peeled tomatoes, cut into 4-6 pieces. Add salt, add water and simmer until the meat is cooked - about 30-40 minutes. Remove the lid, add saffron, pepper, rice, mix, add water if necessary (it should cover the rice with a layer of about 1.5 cm). Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the liquid evaporates.

Paella with bacon

Did you know that in the most authentic restaurants in Catalonia, paella is never served with forks? Moreover, it is not ordinary stainless steel spoons that will be brought to a frying pan with hot, steaming rice - it is believed that metal spoils the taste of food by oxidizing it. The cutlery will be made of wood! Try making paella with bacon and serving the table with wooden utensils - you'll probably love it!

Ingredients:
500 g bacon;
5-6 large tomatoes;
1 sweet pepper;
1 large onion;
2 stalks of celery;
200 g green beans;
1-2 cm chili pepper;
2.5 cups chicken broth;
1 cup rice;
salt to taste.

In a frying pan with a thick bottom, fry the bacon cut into thin strips or squares. Once it turns golden and crispy, add the diced onion. After a minute, add the rest of the vegetables - celery cut into small slices, green beans in 2-3 cm cubes, thin slices of chili pepper, strips of sweet pepper, peeled tomatoes and cut into slices. Fry until the vegetables become soft, add rice, salt, and add broth. Reduce heat and cook until all the liquid has evaporated. That's it, you can serve. In the company of greens and fresh vegetable salad - delicious!

Vegetarian paella

We have already agreed that the “correct” paella is prepared with unpeeled seafood, however, there is another version of paella - parellada. The dish received its name from the name of the famous gourmet in Spain - Julie Parellada, who hated getting his hands dirty, but loved to eat deliciously, and from his serving the “purified” recipe appeared. However, there is another way not to get your hands dirty - prepare vegetarian vegetable paella without mussels, shrimp and bony fish.

Ingredients:
150 g rice;
450 ml vegetable broth;
3 tbsp. l. olive oil;
3 cloves of garlic;
4-5 large tomatoes;
1 small zucchini;
1 carrot;
1 onion;
100 g green beans;
50 g canned or young green peas;
50 g canned sweet corn;
salt, turmeric, saffron, paprika to taste;
parsley, lemon for serving.

To make paella quick and easy, first prepare everything you need: chop the garlic and onion, cut the carrots and zucchini into medium-sized cubes. Scald the tomatoes, peel and cut into slices. Prepare the spices you plan to add to the rice and vegetables. Strain the broth.

That's it, you can take out the frying pan and heat the oil. As soon as a pleasant aroma floats through the kitchen, add the garlic, after a couple of seconds add the onion, fry over low heat until lightly golden. Add zucchini and carrot cubes. Stirring, cook for 5-10 minutes, then add tomatoes. After 2-3 minutes – green beans, peas and corn. Stir, add rice, then salt and add spices. Stir again, then pour the broth into the pan and cook over low heat until the liquid has completely evaporated.

Serve with herbs and lemon wedges.

1. Broccoli and cauliflower are not traditional paella vegetables, but they are quite interesting.
2. Quinoa – another grain will make the paella richer and more original.
3. Celery root is so flavorful it just begs to be added to the pan!
4. Mushrooms – unexpectedly in paella format, but very appropriate.
5. Eggplant? Why not?
6. Pork? Beef? This, of course, is not at all about traditional paella - even taking into account all its regional twists, however, this also happens. Why not?
7. Sausages are, of course, not chorizo ​​at all, however, they are very “in the spirit”: cheap, cheerful and folk-like.
8. Crab sticks. Doubtfully useful, but budget-friendly. Sometimes it helps.
9. Chickpeas are the closest relative of beans and peas, so, in general, nothing supernatural, but at least in a new way.
10. Banana – very unconventional, but very organic. It’s not for nothing that half of South American cuisine is based on a combination of rice and bananas!

At the beginning of autumn, Valencia hosts the annual Paella festival - the most talented chefs prepare the folk dish, and crowds of locals and tourists happily gorge themselves on it. Improve yourself, grow above yourself, create your own paella recipe - and who knows, maybe in a few years we will meet you at the festival, and you will treat us to the most incredible paella, juicy and very tasty!

Paella- a national Spanish dish, originally from the city of Valencia. Paella made from rice colored with saffron, cooked in a frying pan over an open fire. Actually the word itself Paella means a frying pan in which the dish is not only cooked, but also served to the table. There are a huge number of recipes for preparing this dish: with seafood, chicken, vegetables, even with sausage, as well as mixed paella, which is what we will be preparing. Our paella, of course, is slightly adapted, because... We will cook on a regular stove, serve it in a plate, not in a frying pan, and I use frozen seafood, not freshly caught in the sea. However, even despite these changes, the dish turns out very tasty.

To prepare paella, Valencia rice (may also be called Paella) is used - medium-grain rice, its grains are short and thick, it absorbs liquid well, absorbs aromas and does not overcook, remaining crumbly. If you can't find Valencia, use medium grain Risotto or Alborio rice (we used Risotto rice in our recipe). It is not recommended to use long-grain and short-grain varieties of rice in the preparation of this dish.

Ingredients

• seafood 800 g
• chicken fillet 400 g
• rice Valencia 400 g
• saffron 1/2 teaspoon
• tomatoes 1 PC.
• sweet green pepper 1 PC.
• green pea 150 g
• onion 1 PC.
• lemon 1/2 pcs.
• turmeric 1/2 teaspoon
• olive oil
• salt taste

Preparation

If you are using frozen seafood, you should defrost it and drain off all the liquid.

Pour 200 ml of boiling water over the saffron and leave for 15-20 minutes.

Cut the chicken fillet into small pieces. In a large wide frying pan (in which the paella will be cooked), heat the oil well and fry the chicken over high heat. Place in a separate bowl.

We also fry seafood here. We post it.

Finely chop the onion and fry lightly in the same pan until it becomes soft.

Do not wash the rice for paella. Pour it into the onion and mix well. Cook, stirring, for several minutes.

Pour water with saffron into the rice, and then add boiling water so that the water is a finger higher than the rice (1.5-2 cm). Reduce heat, add salt, add turmeric and leave to cook for 10 minutes. After you have added water, do not stir the rice.

While the rice is cooking, wash and cut the tomatoes into small cubes.

Fry the tomatoes until they become soft. Place tomatoes in rice.

Wash the pepper, peel and finely cut into cubes.

Add the peppers and green peas and cook until the water is completely absorbed and the rice is ready.

When the rice is ready, place the chicken and seafood on top, garnish with lemon slices and let sit for a few more minutes before serving.

Paella with chicken and seafood ready. Bon appetit!

Every housewife tries to prepare delicious and healthy dishes for her family. Paella with seafood, made in the best Spanish traditions, is just such a dish. It’s easy to make at home, and the portions are enough to satisfy all family members.

The Spanish classic version is what housewives are recommended to master initially. This will be paella with seafood, the recipe for which is used in the homeland of the dish. The unusual aroma will attract household members without unnecessary reminders. The above components make 5-6 servings.

Ingredients:

• Valencia rice – 250 g;
• sea ​​cocktail – 450 g;
• saffron – 0.5 tsp;
• onion – 1 pc.;
• tomato paste – 200 g;
• canned peas – 100 g;
• sweet pepper – 1 pc.;
• salt.

Preparation

1. Thaw the seafood cocktail, add water to the saffron and let it brew for 15-20 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the cocktail ingredients, fry over high heat and transfer to a separate bowl. Chopped onions are also placed here.
3. Add rice cereal to it and fry everything together for a couple of minutes. Pour boiled water with saffron into the frying pan until the liquid covers the mixture.
4. Add tomato paste, peas, peppers or other vegetables as desired.
5. As soon as the rice grains absorb water, add the cocktail components. Keep the seafood paella on the fire for several minutes and serve hot.

No chef sticks to just one cooking method all the time. Everyone modifies it according to their own taste and preference. This also applies to a dish like paella with chicken and seafood. It is prepared in almost the same way, but some new components are added that only improve the taste of the food.

Ingredients:

• rice for paella – 300 g;
• chicken breast – 250 g;
• broth - 2 tbsp.;
• tomato – 2 pcs.;
• canned peas and corn – 100 g each;
• onions – 2 pcs.;
• carrots - 1 pc.;
• spices.

Preparation

1. Finely chopped onion with carrots and chopped tomatoes are fried in a frying pan. Add chicken, cut into small pieces, to the vegetables. Stew and spread the grated tomato.
2. Then rice cereals and, lastly, green peas and corn are added to the utensils.
3. Keep it on the fire for a while, pour in the broth and leave the dish to simmer for 20 minutes.
4. When the broth has evaporated, remove the frying pan from the heat, set aside for 10 minutes, and then serve the seafood paella.

A worthy replacement would be paella with shrimp, which is no less healthy. One of the unfamiliar components of the dish that may not be in the refrigerator will be shrimp. As a result, in half an hour you will get 5 generous servings of food, maximally saturated with nutritional elements.

Ingredients:

• long rice – 300 g;
• shrimp – 10-15 pcs.;
• tomato puree – 100 g;
• onion – 1 pc.;
• vegetable oil -50 ml;
• water – 2.5 tbsp.;
• green peas – 100 g;
• spices for paella - saffron, salt, pepper.

Preparation

1. Finely chop the onion, place it in a frying pan and fry until golden brown. Add tomato puree.
2. Pour in water, salt and pepper. Then add spices and mix.
3. Taking care not to mix with the other ingredients, add rice cereal to the pan. Let the water boil and distribute the shrimp evenly.
4. Paella with seafood is simmered under a lid over low heat for about 15 minutes. After that, remove the lid, add green peas and place the dish on plates.

In Spain, there is an option no less traditional than those described above - paella with mussels. The best occasion to try the delicacy will be the next holiday, because it is perfect for special occasions. The treat looks festive, and the specified number of ingredients will yield 5-6 servings.

Ingredients:

• arborio rice – 300 g;
• mussels – 350 g;
• dry white wine – 100 ml;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• onion – 1 pc.;
• chili pepper – 1 pc.;
• spices - bay leaf, salt and pepper;
• greenery.

Preparation

1. Peel and chop the garlic. Fry in oil in a frying pan until the juices come out.
2. The onion is cut and sautéed. Mix it with rice grains and fry until the color changes to pearl.
3. Gradually add dry white wine, chili pepper in small pieces and bay leaf.
4. Then pour in water (3-4 glasses). Leave the rice grains to simmer.
5. The mussels are thawed and later added to the almost finished ingredients.
6. A dish sprinkled with herbs is served on the table.

Lovers of the delicacy prepare it with a wide variety of seafood products. Each time the dish turns out incredibly tasty, but different. One of its variations, which will become the highlight of the table, is such a dish as paella with squid. It will take no more than an hour to prepare four large servings.

Ingredients:

• rice – 300 g;
• squid – 350 g;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• onion – 1 pc.;
• pepper – 1 pc.;
• spices – saffron, paprika.

Preparation

1. Fry finely chopped garlic.
2. Chop the onion and lightly fry. Mix it with rice cereal and fry them together.
3. Add chopped pepper and spices one pinch at a time.
4. Dilute with water and let simmer.
5. Add squid and cook until done.

An incredibly healthy and nutritious dish is paella with sea cocktail. To create it you need very little time and products. The most basic component is purchased in advance and defrosted while the rest is prepared. As a result, in just half an hour you will get 4 servings of a hearty dish.

Ingredients:

• Jasmine rice – 200 g;
• sea ​​cocktail – 250 g;
• onion – 0.5 pcs.;
• garlic – 1 clove;
• frying oil;
• water – 3 glasses;
• spices;
• greenery.

Preparation

1. Chop the onion and fry in a frying pan. Add garlic.
2. Pour rice cereal into the bowl, stir and pour in water.
3. Add spices and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes.
4. Add the seafood cocktail and simmer for 6-7 minutes.
5. Paella with seafood is served sprinkled with herbs.

The easiest way to get a tasty and nutritious meal is to use a slow cooker. The beauty is that when paella is prepared, the recipe remains the same, but the maximum amount of nutrients is retained and the minimum amount of time is required. At the same time, the taste of the dish will not be inferior to those prepared in the usual way.

Ingredients.