Paella is awesome! This specialty Spanish rice dish is a well-seasoned, magical mixture of cooked meats, vegetables, and seafood. Showing off paella’s versatility, we’ve developed one recipe prepared two ways; á la grill or á la skillet. We’ll share with you our secret for layering flavor (resulting in very, very tasty paella) and how to cook paella inside and out.
Bomba Rice, Paella Rice, or Short Grain Rice
Step One is making sure you have the right rice. Paella is made by using short grain rice. Short grain rice absorbs liquid really well and has the ability to stay relatively al dente while cooking. The goal of rice in a paella is to absorb all the liquid, almost to the point of becoming dry, and then, creating this beautiful crispy crust along the bottom and sides of the pan. Bomba rice is the most traditional, available online or at specialty grocery stores. Arborio (risotto rice) and sushi rice are acceptable substitutes. Just stay away from long-grain rice, these will not work for your paella. Bomba rice works on a 3 cups liquid to every 1 cup rice. If using a substitute, like arborio, reduce the liquid in this recipe (2:1).
Spain ❤️ Seafood
With over 3000 kilometers of coastline, as well as three major waterways to fish from; Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Cantabrian, Spain is flush with fish and shellfish. Each region has their favorites, but, collectively, you’ll see an abundance of shrimp, mussels, clams, lobsters, and squid. For our paella, we’ll be using all of those tasty morsels!
Pan Perfect
Lastly, make sure to stock up on a decent paella pan. The flat bottoms, slopping sides, and either steel or cast iron material are constructed specifically for this dish. Distributing the heat evenly, creating that crispy crust, and allowing just enough moisture to escape so the dish does not get soggy.
Seafood Paella
Patterson Watkins
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Servings
4-6
Paella is awesome! This specialty Spanish rice dish is a well-seasoned, magical mixture of cooked meats, vegetables, and seafood. Showing off paella’s versatility, we’ve developed one recipe prepared two ways; á la grill or á la skillet. We’ll share with you our secret for layering flavor (resulting in very, very tasty paella) and how to cook paella inside and out.
1/2 cup poblano or serrano pepper seeded and diced
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup bomba or paella rice
1/4 cup sherry or white cooking wine
1 14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
3/4 cup fresh peas
2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
Directions
Warm vegetable broth in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Once the broth is hot, sprinkle with saffron threads, and remove from the heat. Set the broth aside to steep for 15 minutes.
Grilled Paella:
Preheat one side of a gas grill to high heat or prep charcoals for a charcoal grill (once the charcoals are hot, push the hot coals over to one side of the grill).
Place prepped lobster, shrimp, and lemon in a large bowl. Drizzle with half of the olive oil (1 1/2 tbsp.) and season with half of the salt (1 tsp.) and paprika (1 tsp.), toss to coat. Once the grill is hot, place the seafood and lemon on the grill, directly over the coals or “hot” side, and grill for 5-10 minutes or until the seafood is cooked through and lightly charred (the lemon too), remove from the grill and set aside on a plate. Place the clams, mussels, and calamari in the bowl (same one used to marinate the lobster and shrimp) and toss with the remaining olive oil (1 1/2 tbsp.) and seasoning (1 tsp. Salt and 1 tsp. Paprika), set aside.
Place a paella pan on the “hot” side of the grill. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic, and peppers (bell peppers and poblano), and sauté for 8-10 minutes or until the onions and peppers are slightly caramelized and tender. Add the smoked paprika, salt, and rice to the pan, stir to combine, and continue to sauté, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes.
Deglaze the pan with sherry and, once the wine has evaporated, add the saffron-steeped broth and diced tomatoes. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.
Once simmering, carefully transfer the paella pan to the side of the grill not directly over the heat source, and cook for 20 minutes, uncovered, without stirring.
Nestle the marinated clams, mussels, calamari into the rice, cover the pan, and continue to cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is tender, the liquid has been absorbed, and the clams and mussels have opened (discard any that have not opened).
Remove the pan from the heat, add the grilled shrimp and lobster, lemon, and peas, cover, and set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle the paella with chopped parsley before serving. Season to taste with sea salt.
Stove-Top Paella:
Preheat the paella pan over high heat. Place prepped lobster, shrimp, and lemon in a large bowl. Drizzle with half of the olive oil (1 1/2 tbsp.) and season with half of the salt (1 tsp.) and paprika (1 tsp.), toss to coat. Once the pan is hot, working in batches if necessary, add the seafood, and cook, until the shrimp are cooked through and the lobster is seared. (You can sear the lemon here as well, makes for a very pretty garnish). Remove the seafood from the pan and set aside on a plate.
Place the clams, mussels, and calamari in the bowl (same one used to marinate the lobster and shrimp) and toss with the remaining olive oil (1 1/2 tbsp.) and seasoning (1 tsp. Salt and 1 tsp. Paprika), set aside.
Return the paella pan to the heat and add 3 tbsp of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic, and peppers (bell peppers and poblano), and sauté for 8-10 minutes or until the onions and peppers are slightly caramelized and tender. Add the smoked paprika, salt, and rice to the pan, stir to combine, and continue to sauté, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes.
Deglaze the pan with sherry and, once the wine has evaporated, add the saffron-steeped broth and diced tomatoes. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 20 minutes, uncovered, without stirring.
Nestle the marinated clams, mussels, calamari into the rice, cover the pan, and continue to cook for 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender, the liquid has been absorbed, and the clams and mussels have opened (discard any that have not opened).
Remove the pan from the heat, add the grilled shrimp and lobster, lemon, and peas, cover, and set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle the paella with chopped parsley before serving. Season to taste with sea salt.
Taste of Spain, at Home
All of the seafood we used in this paella recipe is available at our online store! Lobster, shrimp, mussels, clams, and calamari (oh, my!) packed with care and shipped directly to your door on the day you choose. Cameron’s Seafood prides itself on providing their customers with the finest and freshest seafood available. Click here to shop today and see the Cameron’s Seafood difference for yourself! Satisfaction guaranteed.
I just had one of the best seafood meals I’ve had in Philadelphia at Cameron’s Seafood, and I’m already planning my next visit! From the moment I walked in, the place had that perfect casual-but-fresh vibe — clean, friendly, and smelling like the ocean (in the best way).
I ordered the crab cakes and they were absolutely incredible — huge lumps of sweet crab meat with minimal filler, perfectly seasoned and seared to golden perfection. My friend got the fried shrimp and oyster po’boy, and both were packed with flavor and super crispy. The hush puppies on the side were addictive, and the coleslaw had just the right tang to balance everything.
The staff was super welcoming and knowledgeable about the menu. Our server made great recommendations and even told us about the daily catch. Portions were generous, and everything tasted incredibly fresh. You can tell they take pride in what they do.
If you’re in Philly and craving quality seafood without the fancy upscale prices, Cameron’s is the spot. Hands down one of the best seafood spots in the city. Highly recommend the crab cakes — they’re worth the trip alone!
Will definitely be back soon. 10/10!
I am from Maryland and love crabs. I have been purchasing them from Camerons for a while; however, in the last few purchases, I received many broken shells. Over the weekend, I ordered a dozen crabs for a Saturday delivery. Kudos, they arrived on Saturday and were well packed. However, six of them had broken shells. I was concerned about contamination, but I ate them anyway. The meat was not as tasty as the others.
This place is fantastic and not only are the crabs top-notch and delicious but the customer service is even better!!! will only use them from now on when I’m shipping crabs to my friends who don’t live in Maryland. Nobody does it better.!!!
On my third order - Cameron's is the gold standard! They are a must try!! Pure perfection end to end!
Thank you so much for the kind words and for coming back for a third order! That truly means the world to us. We can't wait to keep delivering for you!
Since I moved to Ohio it’s hard to find good seafood. Thanks to Cameron’s I can have my home state fix. Ordered crabs several times and as always they were perfect.
We love being your taste of home! No matter where life takes you, we will always make sure you can get your Maryland crab fix. Thank you so much for your continued support and we can't wait to see you back for your next order!
