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Paella with shrimp

50 minutes

Mittel

2 people

A taste of Spain in your pan: this paella with shrimp made with our GOOD GAMBA is bursting with the intense flavor of shrimp, and the heads and shells are used to make a rich shellfish stock in no time at all. Some of the shrimp are left whole, adding to the characteristic flavor of the paella and making it look even more appetizing. You get juicy, grainy rice, aromatic peppers, a hint of saffron, and, as the highlight, the much-loved socarrat, the crispy layer at the bottom of the pan. It's really not that difficult - the only important thing is not to stir after adding the broth.

Ingredients

500 g GOOD GAMBA shrimp, whole
220 g paella rice (Bomba, Calasparra oder Albufera)
30 ml extra virgin olive oil
2 yellow onions, finely diced
1 red pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
200 ml passata (from a jar or fresh)
½ tsp safran (approx. 20 strands)
1 tsp sweet paprika powder
1 tsp smoked paprika poweder
400 ml HONEST CATCH fish stock
1 liter water (for the shrimp stock
you will need a total of approx. 700 ml hot stock at the end)
2 tsp salt (adjust according to the salt content of the stock)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 - 2 lemons, in wedges
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Stefan from HONEST CATCH

Our art director Stefan is not only gifted behind the camera, but also in the kitchen. This recipe was written by him.

Preparation

First, prepare the shrimp. Peel and devein half of the shrimp, leaving the other half whole. Cut into the back of these shrimp and remove the intestines. You can find tips and tricks on how to properly peel shrimp in our How To article.
Briefly roast the heads and shells of the peeled shrimp in a pan without fat until they become intensely fragrant. Then pour in a liter of water, add half a diced onion and a pinch of smoked paprika powder, and simmer gently for about twenty minutes. Then pour the stock through a fine sieve, mix with the HONEST CATCH fish stock and keep hot. Steep the saffron in three to four tablespoons of hot stock for ten minutes. The target amount for the rice is around 700 ml of hot stock.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large paella pan or non-stick frying pan and briefly fry the whole shrimp until they start to brown. Remove from the pan and set aside. In the same oil, adding a little fresh oil if necessary, sauté the remaining onions until translucent, add 2 chopped garlic cloves and the diced peppers and sauté briefly. Then add the 220 g of rice together with the peeled prawns and fry for about three minutes, stirring until the rice grains are translucent. Then stir in the 200 ml of passata and simmer for one to two minutes until a creamy base is formed. Sprinkle in the teaspoon of sweet paprika powder, half of the parsley, 2 teaspoons of salt, and a little pepper, and sauté briefly.
Now comes the crucial step: pour in the saffron infusion and enough hot stock to just cover the rice. Spread everything evenly one last time, but do not stir anymore. Arrange the previously sautéed whole shrimp decoratively on top of the rice.
Let the pan simmer uncovered over medium to low heat for about 20 to 25 minutes. If the rice dries out too soon, add a ladleful of broth until the grains are cooked but still slightly al dente.
To form the socarrat, increase the heat slightly for two to three minutes until it crackles quietly on the bottom of the pan. Then turn off the stove, cover the pan with a dish towel, and let the paella rest for ten minutes.
To serve, sprinkle the remaining parsley over the dish and arrange lemon wedges between the shrimp.

Tip: If the paella is to be part of a bigger dinner table, it goes perfectly with a few typical tapas. Simply serve fried pimientos de Padrón (green peppers) with sea salt, green olives, a creamy saffron aioli, and fresh baguette. For extra enjoyment, increase the amount of shrimp to 1 kg and serve some fried shrimp separately on the side. This makes the shrimp paella even more delicious and easily serves three people.