SEAFOOD PAELLA

 

The southeast tip of Hyrule hides a paradise beyond the break in the jungles of Faron. Here lies the fishing village of Lurelin, a coastal haven that both subsists on the sea and draws vacationers from across the kingdom. Life in this tucked-away village is shaped by the tide. Boats leave before dawn, nets return heavy with whatever the Faron and Necluda seas are willing to give that day, and meals are built around the catch rather than a fixed recipe. It is through this way of life that Lurelin became known for its fish. Skewers, grilled fillets, hearty stews, and countless other dishes celebrate the daily bounty hauled in from the local waters.

Though best known for its fish, Lurelin also boasts a remarkable assortment of seafood. One such dish grew from communal cookery, prepared when the catch was plentiful and families gathered for celebration or to simply share the sea’s offering. When nets yielded a mix of shellfish and cephalopods, Lurelin cooks turned to wide pans and Hylian rice, simmering the day’s seafood together with spices, vegetables, and stock drawn from the sea itself. The result was a dish meant to be shared, one that showcased the variety of the Necluda and Faron seas. Thus emerged the Lurelin seafood paella.

"No fisherman's birthday bash would be complete without this top-shelf seafood dish."

This version of Lurelin seafood paella is built for a smaller pan and a focused catch, allowing each element to stand out while still coming together as a single, cohesive dish. A simple sofrito of onion, garlic, and grated tomato forms the foundation, while Gerudo spice and turmeric lend warmth and color to the rice as it simmers in seafood stock and white wine. Squid, shrimp, and mussels are gently steamed directly in the rice, infusing it with the flavors of the sea, while sweet green peppers and roasted red bell pepper add brightness and contrast. Cooked without stirring and finished with a crisp socarrat at the bottom, this paella reflects Lurelin’s coastal cooking traditions: practical, communal, and deeply tied to the bounty of the surrounding waters. I would definitely need to share a pan of this paella fireside, while watching the sunset from the Lurelin beaches.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup tomato, grated

¾ tsp salt, divided

½ tsp black pepper

¾ tsp turmeric

2 tsp Gerudo Spice

1 cup bomba rice

2 ½ cups seafood stock

½ cup white wine

1 squid, prepped, and sliced into rings

8-12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

8-12 mussels, cleaned

1 long green sweet or mild pepper, sliced into rings

½ red bell pepper, sliced into strips

Salt and black pepper

Lemon wedges for serving

Before we start on the paella itself, we will roast the red pepper. Preheat a broiler on high. 

Slice a red bell pepper in half, removing the stem and seeds. Place a both halves of the red pepper on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven broil the pepper halves until the skin is evenly blackened and blistered , about 8–12 minutes total.

When the pepper is done, transfer it to a bowl and cover tightly with foil or plastic wrap. Let it steam 10 minutes. After 10 minutes peel off the charred skin, then slice the pepper halves into strips.

Place a 10 inch skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and coat the pan. Add the onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until soft an translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for one minute, until fragrant.

Add the grated tomato, season with ¼ tsp salt, and cook the tomato down until thickened, about 5 minutes. Then add in the white wine, and stir through the vegetables. Allow the wine 3-4 minutes to reduce.

Stir in the rice and toast lightly for 1-2 minutes. The rice grains should look glossy and coated, and there should be a faint crackle.

Add the Gerudo spice, turmeric, black pepper, and the remaining ½ tsp salt, and stir it into the rice until fully incorporated. Then, add 2½ cups of the seafood stock, season with a little more salt, and give the pan a slight shake to level the rice evenly through the stock. Once the stock comes to a simmer, turn the heat down to low.

Once the stock is added, do not stir the rice at all. Ever.

After about 10-12 minutes, when the broth has reduced enough so that the top of the rice is visible, nestle the squid rings, shrimp, and mussels into the rice. Allow the seafood to steam and cook through, about 5-8 minutes. 

If the seafood isn’t steaming through evenly after a couple of minutes, cover the pan with a lid or foil for 2–3 minutes to help trap steam. Then remove the cover and continue cooking uncovered so the liquid reduces properly and the socarrat can form.

If the liquid is almost gone, but the rice is still too firm, you can add another 2 tbsp of seafood stock around the edges and allow it to absorb and cook off. Repeat this until the rice is cooked through.

When the rice is just about cooked through, arrange the green pepper rings and the red pepper strips on top. They’ll steam lightly from the heat of the rice but keep their color and shape.

Let the paella cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. At this point, turn up the heat to medium-high for 1-2 minutes to form the socarrat (crust). Listen for a light crackling sound from the bottom; that’s the rice starting to toast and form the crust.

At this point the paella is done. Remove the pan from the heat, season with some fresh cracked black pepper and additional salt, if needed, cover with foil, and allow it to rest 5 minutes before serving.

To serve, mound a portion of the rice on a plate, ensuring to include some squid and green peppers. Place a few strands of roasted red pepper on top and then arrange 3-4 shrimp and 3-4 mussels atop. Serve with a lemom wedge. Enjoy!

Learn more about the Seafood Paella dish from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild at Zelda Dungeon.