Tastiest Seafood Paella Recipe

Along with menudo, puchero, and fabada, paella was birthed from spanish colonization. It has become popular and widely associated with special occasions. Over the centuries, paella in the philippines has evolved into countless versions from ultra meaty to meatless to black (colored with squid ink) to regional variations that use sticky rice in place of the traditional medium-grain rice. Seafood paella, however, remains the favorite with its generous amount of large shrimps, mussels, clams and, occasionally, crabs. Traditionally, paella is cooked outdoors over live fire or charcoal which gives the dish a wonderful smoky undertone. A paella pan wide, shallow and uncovered is also traditional. If outdoor cooking is not feasible, cook the paella on a gas stove. For those with no paella pan, use any wide and shallow pan. For the seafood broth in the ingredients list, simply boil fish heads and bones in water then strain. Chicken broth is an acceptable alternative. While most paella recipes from north america use shelled shrimps, it's best to keep the shrimps' heads, shells and tails intact because much of the shrimp flavor is in them. You may optionally want to cut a slit through the back of the shrimps to expose and remove the black thread (the digestive system) that runs through the entire length of the animal's body.