We’ve developed a classic paella recipe that features some of our favorite seafood products. We’re using a 20-inch paella pan, but a smaller one or a cast iron skillet should work just fine; you might just need to cut down on the quantity of seafood used. 

Ready in 1 hour and 20 minutes Makes 8-10 servings 

• 4-6 rock crab claws
• 2 whole California spiny lobsters, tailed and halved
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound sea scallops
• 8 ounces Spanish chorizo, sliced diagonally into ½-inch pieces
• 2 yellow onions, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, minced
• Salt and pepper 
• ¾ cup garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons smoked Paprika
• 2 cups dry white wine
• 4 cups broth (chicken, vegetable, prawn)
• 1 large pinch of saffron threads
• 1 pound Arborio or other short grain rice
• 1 cup peas
• 2 pounds clams 
• 2 pounds mussels
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• Flaky salt such as Maldon for finishing
• 20-inch Paella pan

1 Prepare the crab and lobster first. For the crab claws, heat a large pot of water to a rolling boil, and boil the crab legs for 8-10 minutes. Set aside. Next, tail the lobsters. Working one at a time and wearing heavy duty gloves, set a lobster on a flat surface with its belly facing down. Holding the lobster head firmly with your non-dominant hand, use the other hand to twist the tail separating it from the head. Use kitchen shears to split the lobster tails and heads in half, cutting right down the center of the shell. Remove the innards from the lobster head, and clean by rinsing under the sink. Set the prepped lobster aside. 

2 Set a 20-inch paella pan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and cook just until it shimmers. Add the scallops and cook for about 5 minutes on each side. Remove scallops and set aside. Add the chorizo and cook to sear on both sides, adding more olive oil if necessary. Remove chorizo from the pan, but leave the juice. 

3 Add onion and bell pepper to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, until soft. Season with salt and black pepper. Add the garlic and cook for another minute before stirring in the paprika. Add the wine, allow liquid to reduce for a few minutes. Add broth and saffron, and stir to mix. 

4 Stir in the rice and leave to cook, undisturbed, for about 20 minutes. This will help you achieve the socarrat or crunchy layer on the bottom. After 20 minutes gently stir the peas into the top layer of the rice, taking care not to disturb the bottom of the pan. Add back the chorizo. There should be enough liquid in the pan to cook the seafood. If the rice is still tough and the liquid has cooked off, add another ½ cup of stock or wine. Nestle the lobster tails and heads, meat side down, into the rice. Work the clams and mussels into the rice and simmer for another 8-10 minutes or until rice is soft and shells have opened. Discard any shells that do not open. Add the crab legs and scallops. Leave paella to rest for another 10-15 minutes on the lowest heat, before finishing with chopped parsley and flaky salt.

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