Paella Roja

Make your way to the southeastern coast of Spain with our very own take on the classic Paella Roja. This traditional recipe is the staple of Valencia, offering home cooks the flexibility to customize ingredients to suit their taste. The classic recipe typically includes meat, seafood, or a combination of both.

The Paella Pan, deriving its name from the dish itself, is perfect for this recipe, offering a generous surface area to keep the rice layer shallow and allow excess moisture to evaporate. The success of any Paella recipe is ultimately dependent on its socarrat – a layer of toasted rice at the bottom of the paella. Crafted with enamelled cast iron and featuring a wide shallow base, the Paella Pan exposes ingredients to a consistent heat source, providing superior heat retention.

Our Paella Roja recipe makes for a great dish to serve when expecting family and friends, accommodating between six and eight portions at a time. This recipe takes just under an hour to prepare from start to finish, providing a delicious dish for any seafood lover. Get creative and adapt the recipe to include your favourite ingredients for a unique twist!

Preheat grill to high heat. Season prawns and lobster with salt, pepper and sweet paprika.

In a grill-safe saucepan or on the stove, heat the chicken broth with saffron. Heat for at least 10 minutes to infuse the broth with flavor and color.

Meanwhile, brush the prawns and lobster with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and place on the grill to sear. The lobster should be flesh-side down. Cook until grill marks form, but not until cooked all the way through. Remove and set aside.

Remove the broth from the grill or stove. Lower heat to medium-high and place the paella pan on the grill. Add the remaining olive oil to the paella pan. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Add garlic, tomatoes and red pepper, stirring often. Cook for about 8 minutes, and then add the smoked paprika. This creates a thick, flavourful sofrito that will add depth to the paella.

Add rice to the pan and cook about 1 minute. Stir in white wine.

Ladle 6 cups of the warm chicken broth into the paella pan and season with salt. (Reserve 2 cups in case more liquid is needed.) Distribute the rice evenly across the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the capers and bay leaves. At this point, do not stir the rice anymore.

Check the texture of the rice. If it is too al dente, add more broth, 1/2 cup at a time, until tender. Gently nestle the prawns, lobster and calamari into the rice, along with another 1/2 cup of broth. Close the lid on the grill and continue to cook, without stirring, until the seafood becomes opaque and the rice has absorbed all of the liquid.

Remove the pan from the heat. Cover with aluminum foil and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Remove the bay leaves. Garnish with parsley and serve with lemon wedges