National Seafood Week: paella recipe
Updated: 23 February, 2024
Celebrate National Seafood Week by serving your diners a popular crowd pleaser – paella!
This impressive Spanish one-pot dish is so simple to prepare, and can be enjoyed all year round. Our version features a selection of high-quality seafood including king prawns, mussels and squid, and is the ultimate comfort food for chilly evenings around this time of year.
What you need
  • Raw shell-on king prawns (defrost before use)
  • Shell-on mussels
  • Raw squid rings
  • 500g arborio rice
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 200g chopped tomatoes
  • 100g frozen peas
  • 100g frozen cut green beans
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • Pinch of saffron
  • Handful of parsley leaves, roughly chopped
For the stock:
  • 1 tbsp chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, roughly chopped
  • 200g chopped tomatoes
  • 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 2 litres water
What to do
  • Peel the prawns, keeping the heads and shells to one side for the stock. De-vein the prawn body and return to the fridge.
  • For the stock, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan on a medium-high heat. Add the onion, chopped tomatoes, garlic and the reserved prawn heads and shells.
  • Cook for 3-4 minutes, then add in 2 litres of water and 1 tablespoon of chicken stock. Bring this all to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. GARLIC
  • Once done, leave to cool then blend together in a food processor and strain through a sieve.
  • In a very large frying pan or paella pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add in the onion and fry until softened.
  • Stir in the rice and allow it to toast for around 30 seconds. Add in the sliced garlic, paprika and saffron and allow to cook for another 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes and 1.5 litres of the stock. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for around 10 minutes; ensuring you keep stirring every few minutes.
  • After 10 minutes, add in your prawns, mussels, peas and green beans.
  • Cover the pan with foil and turn the heat down to low for another 10-15 minutes until the mussels and prawns are cooked through.
  • Garnish with some chopped parsley and a lemon wedge before serving.
Shop the ingredients here