Let LobsterAnywhere transport you to sunny Spain with lobster paella recipe. Skip the hassle of flight delays and long lines at the airport. With a few tips and suggestions, you will be serving up this classic Spanish dish with confidence.
There are certain dishes that instantly cause people to congregate, and paella is one of them. While there are many versions of paella, lobster paella takes the savory Valencian dish to luxurious levels.
This is a dish that can easily feed a crowd. It also lets you use a high-end item like lobster and make it last longer so that everyone can enjoy the sweet, juicy king of the sea. Set the mood with flamenco music and a glass of sangria. Now let’s talk about how to make lobster paella.
Paella is an iconic and classic Spanish dish native to the fourth most populous community of Spain, Valencia. The name paella actually refers to the shallow, wide frying pan that the dish is prepared in. While this rice-based dish is usually cooked over an open fire, it’s also great on the grill and easy to make on the stove. Some less traditional recipes will actually call for you to finish cooking the rice in the oven.
The heart of paella begins with picking the right rice. Just like risotto uses short-grain arborio rice, paella is traditionally made with short grain bomba rice. You may also find it listed as Valencia rice. The rice gets its distinctive yellow color and slightly floral flavor from saffron. Even though saffron is the most expensive spice, a small amount can change the color and flavor of rice. You can easily find saffron at spice shops and even at Trader Joe’s. Seafood paella staring.
Paella is a classic Spanish dish that typically consists of rice veggies, spices and seafood or meat. The most common proteins used in paella are chicken sausage, shrimp and mussels. However, lobster can also make a delicious and luxurious addition! In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of adding lobster to paella and provide tips for preparing perfect lobster paella every time.
Why Add Lobster to Paella?
There are several reasons why lobster can enhance your paella recipe
1. Luxurious Indulgence
Lobster is considered a delicacy and adds an element of decadence and luxury to a meal. Using lobster meat in your paella transforms it from an everyday dish to one suitable for special occasions and celebrations. The sweet, succulent meat pairs perfectly with the saffron rice and spices.
2. Variety of Textures
The tender lobster meat provides a pleasant contrast to the chewy rice and mussels in traditional paella. The crispness of the lobster combined with the soft rice and veggies makes for very interesting textures in each bite.
3. Nutritional Benefits
Lobster contains high levels of protein, vitamins and minerals. Some of the key nutrients include zinc, selenium, copper, vitamin B12 and phosphorus. Adding lobster boosts the overall nutrition of your paella.
4. Delicate Flavor
Lobster has a wonderfully mild, sweet and slightly briny flavor. It won’t overpower the other ingredients but adds subtle depth. The light taste works well with a variety of seasonings.
5. Visual Appeal
Chunks of lobster mixed throughout the paella make for a very attractive presentation. The red and white colors contrast beautifully with the yellow rice. Your guests will be impressed by how gourmet your paella looks.
Tips for Making Lobster Paella
Making lobster paella requires a few adjustments to your usual technique:
1. Choose the Right Lobster
Maine and spiny lobsters are the most common varieties. Make sure the lobster smells sweet and looks lively. The tail should curl under and the meat be resilient when pressed. Pre-cooked lobster meat works too but has less flavor.
2. Cook and Prep the Lobster Properly
Boil or steam live lobsters just until opaque and cooked through. Shock in ice water to stop cooking. Remove all the meat from tails, knuckles and claws. Roughly chop the tail meat and leave claw meat in large chunks for texture variation.
3. Add Lobster at the Right Time
Pre-cook the lobster since the rice cooks much faster. Add the lobster in the last 5 minutes just to heat through. This prevents overcooking and drying out.
4. Use Stock Made from Lobster Shells
Save shells and make lobster stock by simmering in water with onions, garlic, parsley and thyme. Use this stock instead of plain water when cooking the rice for maximum flavor.
5. Pair with Complementary Seafood
Buttery scallops, briny mussels, plump shrimp and spicy chorizo sausage all pair wonderfully with lobster. Use a combination for perfect paella.
6. Adjust Seasonings
Go easy on seasonings that could overwhelm lobster’s delicate flavor. A bit of smoked paprika adds depth without overpowering. Let the lobster be the star!
7. Cook the Rice Properly
Undercooked rice will be crunchy and ruin the texture. Make sure to use the absorption method and allow the rice to cook through completely after adding broth.
Sample Lobster Paella Recipes
To get you started, here are a couple stellar lobster paella recipes:
Lobster Seafood Paella
This recipe from HungerThirstPlay.com includes scallops, shrimp, mussels and chorizo along with the lobster, providing depth of flavors. It uses saffron for the iconic yellow rice and frozen peas for a pop of green.
Easy Lobster Paella
Food Network star Ina Garten provides an easy version perfect for weeknight dinners. It skips the shellfish stock but still infuses maximum flavor into the rice. Red peppers, onion and garlic keep it simple but tasty.
Make Weeknight Paella Easy
The keys to quick and easy lobster paella include:
- Buy pre-cooked lobster meat
- Use shrimp instead of mussels for quicker cooking
- Make a flavorsome seafood stock in advance
- Chop all vegetables and prep ingredients beforehand
- Cook in a skillet instead of specialized paella pan
- Omit peas since they don’t require pre-cooking
- Sprinkle with parsley instead of slow simmering a sofrito
With the above tweaks, you can put together an impressive lobster paella in under an hour any night of the week!
Top Tips for Perfect Lobster Paella
Follow these top tips for paella success:
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Use bomba or calasparra rice – it absorbs liquid better than arborio.
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Toast the rice in olive oil before adding liquid to coat grains and intensify flavor.
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The rice should be in a shallow layer, no more than 1 inch deep.
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Make sure to use a wide pan to maximize surface area contact.
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Don’t stir the rice after adding liquids. Let it cook undisturbed.
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Have liquids at a simmer when adding to rice. Use hot stock, not cold.
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Start checking rice 10 minutes before estimated time to prevent overcooking.
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Let the paella rest for 5-10 minutes after cooking to continue absorbing liquid.
Get Creative with Lobster Paella
Once you master the basics, get creative and make the lobster paella your own with fun add-ins like:
- Lemony artichokes
- Brilliant red peppers
- Smoky roasted eggplant
- Fresh tender fava beans
- Sweet juicy tomatoes
- Salty cured olives
- Garlicky spinach
- Zippy jalapeños
- Savory porcini mushrooms
- Herby basil
- Zesty citrus zest
- Decadent saffron aioli
The possibilities for unique flavor combinations are endless. Let your imagination run wild!
Enjoy the Fruits of Your Labor
Lobster paella makes for an impressive crowd-pleasing meal perfect for celebrations and special occasions. While it does require some upfront preparation, the results are well worth it. Just be sure to enlist friends and family to help eat up all those delicious leftovers!
With a little practice, you’ll be able to whip up this Spanish favorite like a pro. So what are you waiting for? Grab some lobsters and rice and start perfecting your paella recipe today. Your tastebuds will thank you.
What Type of Lobster Should I Buy for Lobster Paella?
Every part of lobster is perfectly suited for being added to lobster paella. We promise that every bite of our paella will taste like lobster if you choose our live Maine lobster. The shells can be used to reinforce the lobster flavor in your chicken or seafood stock. Simply add the shells to your stock and allow it to simmer, infusing it with flavor. You can also do the same with the shells from our Maine Grade A hard shell lobster tails.
However, you can always go with our frozen lobster meat. This will make it easy to have tender and succulent chunks of lobster in every bite. Our tail, claw, and knuckle meat is ideal for dishes such as lobster paella.
Maine Lobster meat for sale online. We ship fresh tail, knuckle, and claw lobster meat (TCK) straight from the clean, cold Atlantic Ocean to your table! Limited supply of convenient 1 lb. Cooked TCK and 1 pound cooked all tail meat. From.
How to Make Lobster Paella
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We’re going to keep the ingredients for this paella very simple so that the pretty, sweet lobster meat takes center stage. Feel free to add in addition seafood for paella de marisco or additional proteins for paella mixta. Let the paella pan be your canvas to paint with your favorite flavors!.
Get out your paella pan or skillet, pop the bottle of cava, and invite friends over. You will have everyone saying olé to lobster paella.
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3.5 ounces Spanish chorizo, diced, optional
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1.2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 14.5 ounces diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 2 cups Valencia or bomba rice
- 4 cups of chicken or seafood stock, plus an extra 1/2 cup if needed
- 1/2 tablespoon of warm water mixed with 1 teaspoon of crushed saffron
- 2 lobster tails
- 1 lbs Colossal shrimp, tails on
- 1 lbs scallops, optional
- 1 cup frozen petite peas
- 1 roasted red pepper, cut into strips
- 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
- lemon wedges for serving
- Set a big cast iron or skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil.
- Add the chorizo if using. Soak it in oil for three to five minutes, or until it turns brown and the fat is gone. Remove from the pan.
- Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the scallops if using. Allow the first side to cook for 2 minutes. Turn them over and sear the other side for another minute or two. They should still have a spring to the touch. Remove from the pan.
- Add an additional drizzle of oil if needed. Put the lobster tails that have been split flesh side down in the pan. Allow them to cook for 2-3 minutes. They are only being seared; they are not fully cooked. Remove from the pan.
- Lower the heat to medium. Add the onions and red bell pepper. Let them cook for three to four minutes, until they’re soft and smell good.
- Add the garlic, salt, paprika, cayenne, and thyme. Stir for 1 minute.
- Add the wine and let it simmer for a while.
- Add the rice and saffron with water. Stir for 1 minute.
- The chorizo, roasted tomatoes, stock, and bay leaf should all be added to the pan. Stir to combine. Do not cover.
- Let the rice cook for 25 to 20 minutes, or until most of the water has evaporated. If it looks like the top is drying out too quickly, add a little more stock and drizzle it over the top. Do not stir it during this time.
- Stir in the peas. Put the lobster and shrimp on top of the rice. Put a lid or piece of foil on top of the pan and cook the seafood for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the shrimp reaches 120 degrees and the lobster tails reach 135 to 140 degrees.
- Take the pan off the heat and throw away the bay leaf. Nestle the scallops back into the pan.
- Add parsley and strips of roasted red pepper as a garnish. Serve with lemon wedges.
You can make this same recipe with whole live lobster, lobster claws, or lobster meat. The cooking time wil vary.
Chorizo – This is optional but brings a back note of savory heat to the paella. You want to use a dry Spanish style chorizo, not the fresh Mexican style. Linguica is a good substitution.
- Author: Lobster Louie
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 40
- Category: Entree
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: Spanish
Mistakes Everyone Makes When Making Paella
How do you cook lobster in a paella pan?
To start, pour the oil in a paella pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and poach for a few minutes, until it is translucent. Next, add the chopped lobster and let it fry for several minutes until it has a pinkish color. Once it is half done, take it out and set aside.
Can you add lobster to paella?
Every part of lobster is perfectly suited for being added to lobster paella. If you decide on our live Maine lobster, you are guaranteed to have the essence of lobster infused into every bite of paella. The shells can be used to reinforce the lobster flavor in your chicken or seafood stock.
What is a lobster twist on Paella?
Paella is a traditional Spanish dish, typically made with seafood, chicken or rabbit, rice, and some variety of green beans. This lobster twist on paella puts the emphasis on the seafood with a little bit of sautéed chorizo to add pleasant heat and a little fat.
How do you make a good paella?
Remove the seafood from the pan and set aside. Start the Paella: In the same pan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent and fragrant. Pour in the tomatoes and boil for a few minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the rice and smoked paprika and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.