Paella with chicken, lobster and shrimp

Confession: I don’t really love Paella. Rather, I’m completely head over heels for Socarrat, the crispy, toasted, heavenly bits of rice that form at the bottom of the Paella pan when it’s cooked just right. Getting the Socarrat perfect is my primary goal when making this dish—though the accompanying spicy Chorizo, sweet lobster and juicy shrimp are nothing to complain about!

To begin, you’ll need a Paella pan. I use a heavy, cast iron version made by Le Crueset that I really enjoy, it’s quite versatile and find I use it for many other dishes beyond Paella. You can also buy a less expensive stainless steel or non-stick version, but it is important to use a wide, shallow Paella pan in order to achieve maximum rice to pan surface contact.

A few additional notes: it’s important to choose a good quality dry-cured Chorizo as it adds so much of the flavour. And when selecting Paprika, you must use a Spanish rather than Hungarian style Paprika for this dish to ensure the right flavours.

First, heat some olive oil and cook the chicken (I prefer chicken thighs for the most tender result) until just lightly browned on all sides.

Remove the chicken and set aside. It’s time to build the Sofrito—a common flavour base in this case made of onion, tomato and garlic. Add chopped onion to the pan and cook 2–3 minutes until translucent. Then add grated tomato and garlic, together with salt and pepper to taste. Cook this for approximately 45 minutes, scraping brown bits from the bottom of the pan every 5–10 minutes. Add a tiny bit of water to loosen the bits as you go if the pan is getting dry and the ingredients are sticking. Below shows the “before” starting point of the Sofrito, followed by the “after” end state where it is reduced to about 1/3 of the original volume and deep golden caramel in colour.

Add Spanish Paprika and rice to the pan, stir to combine and lightly toast the rice.

Add reserved chicken, chorizo and chicken stock to the pan, stirring to combine well. Aim to spread the rice evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer. Cook approximately 15 minutes (do not stir) until the rice is starting to surface as it absorbs the liquid. Rotate the pan occasionally as it cooks to ensure even heat on the rice. Below the images show the initial liquid state and the transformation to the after state where the liquid has been absorbed.

Now add red pepper strips in a fanning circular pattern around the dish. Place lobster tails into the pan, pressing down into the rice. Cover with foil and cook for 3 minutes. Then quickly add the shrimp, recover with foil and cook an additional 5–6 minutes until the lobster is cooked and the shrimp are white/pink all the way through.

Now check the rice by tasting some from the top to see if it’s cooked through. It should be slightly al dente with a slight bite in the centre. If the rice needs more time, remove the lobster and shrimp and reserve on a plate; then add 1/4 cup – 1/2 cup water and recover to complete the cook. Also check the Socarrat crust, by digging your fork to the bottom of the dish and inspecting the bottom layer. Remove a small bit from the bottom to taste for the toasted character and firmness. If the bottom hasn’t developed a crust, turn the heat up for the final 3–4 minutes of cooking.

Once cooked through with the perfect Socarrat, remove from heat and allow to rest covered with foil for 5 minutes. Add shrimp back just before covering to gently warm it back up before covering with foil if needed.

While resting, crack the lobster tail shells and remove the meat, and remove the tail vein if present. Add the lobster meat back in just prior to serving, along with lots of fresh lemon wedges and some fresh parsley. Be sure to scrape up the delicious Socarrat while serving—my favourite part!