Sandra This show-stopping Bobby Flay Paella is the ultimate dish for a party or a special outdoor gathering. A true “surf and turf” masterpiece, it features grilled chicken, smoky chorizo, and a bounty of fresh seafood—clams, mussels, shrimp, lobster, and scallops—all artfully arranged on a bed of saffron-infused rice. While it has many components, the process is straightforward, resulting in a deeply flavorful and impressive one-pan meal.
Bobby Flay Grilled Paella Ingredients
For the Seafood & Chicken:
- One 3-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
- 18 colossal shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 15 sea scallops, patted dry
- 2 pounds clams, scrubbed
- 2 pounds mussels, de-bearded and scrubbed
- Two 2-pound lobsters, par-cooked and halved lengthwise
- Canola oil, for coating
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Paella Base:
- 4 cups short-grain paella rice (like Bomba or Valencia)
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 large pinch of saffron threads
- 3 tbsp canola oil
- 1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 pound Spanish chorizo, thinly sliced
For Assembly & Garnish:
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1 jar (6-8 peppers) piquillo peppers, chopped or sliced
- 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 4 lemons, halved
How To Make Bobby Flay Grilled Paella
- Prepare the Grill and Saffron Stock: Prepare a large kettle grill for direct, high-heat cooking. In a saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a simmer and add the saffron threads to infuse. Keep the stock warm.
- Cook the Shellfish: Add the clams to the simmering saffron stock, cover, and cook for 8-10 minutes until they open. Transfer the opened clams to a bowl. Add the mussels to the same stock, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes until they open. Transfer the mussels to a separate bowl. Discard any shellfish that did not open. Keep the saffron stock simmering.
- Grill the Chicken and Seafood: Coat the chicken pieces with a little oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over indirect heat, covered, for 12-15 minutes until golden and cooked through. Toss the shrimp, scallops, lobster, and lemon halves with a little oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the shrimp, scallops, and lobster over direct heat for just 1-2 minutes per side until lightly charred and just cooked through. Grill the lemons, cut-side down, until charred. Set all the grilled items aside on sheet pans.
- Start the Paella Base: Place a large paella pan on the grill over direct heat. Add 3 tbsp of canola oil. Sauté the onions until soft, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the sliced chorizo and cook for about 5 minutes, until browned and crisp.
- Cook the Rice: Stir the rice into the pan and cook for a few minutes to toast the grains. Begin adding the hot saffron stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing the rice to absorb the liquid before adding the next cup. Continue this process for about 25 minutes, until the rice is al dente.
- Assemble the Paella: Once the rice is cooked, artfully arrange the grilled chicken, clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, and lobster pieces on top of the rice. Scatter the peas and piquillo peppers over the top.
- Serve: Squeeze the juice from 4 of the grilled lemon halves over the entire paella. Nestle the remaining lemon halves into the rice. Garnish with a generous amount of fresh parsley and serve immediately, directly from the pan.
Recipe Tips
- How to get the perfect “Socarrat”? The socarrat is the prized, crispy layer of toasted rice at the bottom of the pan. To achieve it, after the last addition of stock is mostly absorbed, stop stirring completely. Let the paella cook for the last few minutes, listening for a gentle crackling sound, which indicates the bottom is toasting perfectly.
- Why use a Paella Pan? A traditional paella pan is wide, shallow, and has sloped sides. This shape is crucial as it promotes the quick, even evaporation of the liquid and maximizes the surface area for the rice to cook in a thin layer, which is essential for developing the socarrat.
- Can I make this ahead of time? Paella is a dish that is at its absolute best when served hot and fresh from the pan. The individual components can be prepped in advance (chopping vegetables, cleaning seafood), but the final cooking process should be done just before serving.
- What’s the best rice for paella? It is essential to use a short-grain, highly absorbent rice like Spanish Bomba or Valencia rice. These varieties can absorb three times their volume in liquid without becoming mushy, which is key to a perfect paella texture. Long-grain rice will not work.
What To Serve With Paella
This is a show-stopping, all-in-one meal that is the centerpiece of any gathering. It needs very little accompaniment. It is perfectly served with:
- Crusty bread to soak up the delicious juices.
- A simple green salad with a light vinaigrette.
- A crisp, cold glass of Spanish Albariño wine or a light, fruity rosé.
How To Store Leftover Paella
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Be aware that the seafood, especially the shellfish, does not reheat well.
- Reheat: Gently reheat the paella in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water or broth to prevent it from drying out.
Paella Nutrition Facts
- Serving: 1 serving
- Calories: 950 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 85g
- Protein: 65g
- Fat: 45g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Sodium: 1850mg
Nutrition information is estimated for a large portion and will vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.
FAQs
What is the difference between hard and soft chorizo?
Spanish chorizo can be either hard (fully cured, like a salami) or soft (semi-cured, which needs to be cooked). The recipe calls for something in between, which will render its fat and become crispy when cooked.
Do I have to use a charcoal grill?
No. You can achieve similar results on a large gas grill, using direct and indirect heat zones. You can also cook the paella on a very large stovetop burner or an outdoor paella burner.
Why is my rice mushy?
Mushy rice is the number one enemy of a good paella. It’s almost always the result of one of three things: using the wrong type of rice (like long-grain), adding too much liquid, or stirring the rice too much in the final stages of cooking, which releases too much starch.
Bobby Flay Grilled Paella Recipe
Description
A spectacular grilled paella loaded with chicken, chorizo, and a bounty of fresh seafood, all cooked in a saffron-infused rice for the ultimate party dish.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare a hot charcoal grill.
- Infuse the chicken stock with saffron. Use the hot stock to steam open the clams and mussels; set them aside.
- Grill all the chicken and seafood until just cooked through; set aside.
- In a large paella pan on the grill, sauté the onion, garlic, and chorizo.
- Stir in the rice to toast, then gradually add the hot saffron stock, stirring, until the rice is al dente (about 25 mins).
- For the last few minutes, stop stirring to allow the “socarrat” (crispy bottom) to form.
- Artfully arrange all the cooked chicken and seafood on top of the rice. Scatter with peas and peppers.
- Squeeze with grilled lemon juice, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Prep is Key (“Mise en Place”): The most important tip for this complex recipe is to have all your ingredients prepped, chopped, and ready to go before you start cooking, as the final steps move very quickly.
- Don’t Skip the Socarrat: The crispy, toasted layer of rice at the bottom of the pan is the most prized part of a paella. Don’t stir the rice for the last 5-10 minutes of cooking to achieve this.
- Don’t Overcook the Seafood: The shrimp, scallops, and lobster cook in just a minute or two on a hot grill. Grill them last and quickly, as they will warm through again when placed on the hot rice.
- Let it Rest: While not a long rest, allowing the finished paella to sit for 5 minutes off the heat before serving lets the rice absorb the final bit of liquid and the flavors settle.
Bobby Flay Grilled Paella Recipe
