An icon of Spain's cultural identity, paella done with a pinch of Mexico: a thin blanket of saffron-scented rice with a crackly, crunchy bottom crust (or socarrat), studded with fresh seafood.
Heat olive oil in paella pan, a paellera, over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and let it get hot.
Add red and yellow peppers and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and continue to sauté for about 5 minutes. This is the base of your sofrito.
Add cayenne and chile powder and mix well.
Add the shrimp and cook for about 3 minutes, just long enough for the shrimp to pickup some of the flavors of the sofrito.
With a mortar and pestle blend the saffron and salt until well combined and add to the sofrito. Mix well.
Add the rice and sauté for about 3 minutes. Continue to mix so rice does not stick to the pan. Add the chicken stock and heat for about 10 minutes. Salt to taste.
Add the parsley and combine.
Add the halibut chunks and mussels by burying them into the partially cooked rice.
Sprinkle the peas on top of the rice. Cover pan with foil, create a tight seal, lower the heat to low and let it simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. You can hear the liquid cooking.
After about 20 minutes taste the rice to make sure it is cooked and not crunchy. Cook longer if necessary, maybe 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the foil and let it cook for another 5 minutes creating the special socarrat at the bottom of the pan.
Once it’s ready remove from the heat and let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
One final note, the toasted rice at the bottom of the pan is actually coveted in Spain and considered a delicacy, it’s called socarrat in Spanish and essential to good paella. The socarrat will happen on its own if you cook the paella over a flame or electric stove like I did, but not in the oven. When you get to that part of the pan scrape it up and let it crunch between your teeth, you’ll be glad you did.