Mediterranean Paella with Shrimp and Mussels

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Fried onion

1. 1
   Heat the olive oil in a wide paella pan over medium-high heat.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStoveFrying pan
2. 2
   Add the onion and fry 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent and starts to turn golden at the edges. If it browns too fast, lower the heat.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.

To assemble

1. 3
   Add the garlic and red pepper and fry 3 minutes, until the pepper softens.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove
2. 4
   Add the tomatoes and cook 3 minutes, until softened.

   Stove
3. 5
   Add the rice and the turmeric and smoked paprika and stir 2 minutes, until all the grains are coated in tomato.
4. 6
   Add the chicken stock and the saffron water, season with salt and black pepper and bring to a boil.

   Stove
5. 7
   Turn down to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Scatter the shrimp and mussels on top, cover again and cook another 8–10 minutes, until the mussels open.

   ⚙ SimmeringStoveLid

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
6. 8
   Turn off the heat and leave covered 5–10 minutes.

   💡Don't open the lid during cooking: the steam is what cooks the top layer. A towel between the pot and the lid absorbs the drips, so the rice doesn't get soggy.
7. 9
   Gently stir in the parsley.
8. 10
   Gently fluff with a fork and serve with the lemon wedges.