Six secrets to better cooking AND (bonus!) the definitive guide to making a crowd-pleasing seafood paella.

Thanks to Miami chef Garby Guerrero.

Jan 26, 2025

Garby Guerrero, a chef and cooking guru, recently held a “learn how to make paella class” in the home of our mutual friend Meriden.

Garby Guerrero, Miami chef — Happy Garby in the kitchen with her paella.

Garby currently lives in Miami but her heart and cooking skills belong in San Sebastian, Spain – the place where she born and learned how to cook.

San Sebastian, a beautiful beach town in northern Spain, is the center of the Basque region. The Basques are unlike any people in the world. They speak their own special language called Euskara. The language is the only known language not rooted in or connected to another language. Think about that, a small region in northern Spain, next to France, that has its own secret language.

The bonds and connections among Basques are strong. They are fiercely loyal and spirited; they love their land and the foods that come from it. Food is so much more than sustenance; it’s life, it’s community, it’s friendship and family. Culinary appreciation runs deep. So deep, in fact, the Basque region has a total of 33 Michelin-stars, spread across 23 restaurants; that is the highest concentration of Michelin stars per capita in the world.

San Sebastian is the undisputed culinary capital of the Basque Country. And Garby has those culinary traditions in her DNA. When we set out on our cooking class adventure, I knew I was in for something special.

Six secrets to cooking great meals in your kitchen.

These six secrets of becoming a great cook are the secrets to unlocking fabulous meals. Every day.

Secret 1. Cooking is love, made visible. Love is the secret ingredient that turns a peanut butter sandwich into a mother’s kisses and hugs. Cooking may be rooted in science, art and technique, but, in the end, it’s all about the caring and the love. Whatever you are making, make it with love and care, and it will be well received and appreciated.

Secret 2. Take your time. Keep your cool. Be patient. If you rush, you run the risk of burning, dropping, undercooking, overcooking. Slow it down.

3. Offer a glass of wine and conversation while preparing the meal. And laugh. Seriously, if the rice for the paella isn’t cooking, give the guests another glass of wine. Waiting will improve the paella and wine will tap into the joy. Oh, and if you cover the pan of rice with a cloth to help the rice cook a little faster, and the cloth catches on fire, well, that’s your cue to laugh some more. And get some water. Fast.

4. Foods create memories and that’s a good thing. Food plays a unique role in our emotional lives. Happy memories are often centered around food – that special chocolate chip cookie mom made, the fish that is served every year on Christmas eve, colored Easter eggs.

The smoked red bell pepper” (paprika) that Garby brought for the paella is from La Vera (Spain) where she lived when she was 10 years old. She opened the jar, took a whiff, and had this reaction:

Fun fact: smell triggers up to 75% of our daily emotions. Recent neuroscience research has uncovered the link between smells and emotions. The part of the brain that registers smell (the olfactory system) is literally a subset of the part of the brain that processes emotions (the limbic system). That’s why the smells of food can trigger strong feelings of love, care and connections: our brains are literally hardwired to associate tastes and smells with memories

5. Use all the food – even the gooey disgusting stuff (aka the brains) in the shrimp. Garby bought whole shrimp for the paella. When shelling them, she poured the ichy stuff (again, the brains! Ewe!) into the pot. It enhances the taste. Don’t think about it; just do it!

6. Presentation counts. A lot. Let’s face it, sometimes things get messed up when we cook. That damn rice took so long, we finally had to just eat it. But the whole dish came together so well, and looked so good, nobody really cared!

Seafood Paella, Basque recipe — The finished seafood paella waiting to be devoured.

Bottom line: if you burn the burgers on the grill, or undercook the potatoes, who cares really, as long as people are smiling and laughing.

Here’s how to cook Garby’s paella. It takes an hour or 2 if you make everything, including the broths, in one sitting. And it’s fun, especially if you apply the “Six Secrets”.

Garby Guerrero’s Seafood Paella Recipe. For 8 people.

Begin by making Fish and Shrimp Broth.

Here’s another secret: the taste of the paella when the rice and seafood are cooked in a mixture of fish and shrimp broth is extraordinary. It’s worth the time and effort.

Fish Broth: Boil the following ingredients for about 20 minutes. It’s done when the fish meat is white.

2 fish heads (grouper or snapper).
2 garlic cloves
1/2 onion and 1/2 bell pepper and 1/2 leek, chopped coarsely
2 sprigs cilantro or parsley or both
Enough water to cover
Salt to taste

Shrimp Broth: Simmer shrimp shells and heads and the icky gooey red stuff in 3 cups of water. It’s done when the top of the broth turns bright orange. It takes about 15 minutes.

Here what the soups look like, bubbling away and almost done.

Paella ingredients.

Olive oil
Finely chopped medium onion
3 cloves minced garlic
1 red pepper and 1 green pepper, diced small (1/8 inch or so if possible)
2 cups short grained rice like Bomba or Arborio
The stock!
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads soaked in 2 tablespoons warm water
16 medium shrimps with head. Shell 8 of them. The shells are used for the shrimp broth. Leave 8 unshelled for the top of the finished dish.
1 lb mussels
1 lb clams
1/2 cub frozen peas
1 jar roasted red bell pepper
Salt and pepper to taste.

Note: the list feels long but it’s actually pretty simple to pull everything together. Garby recommends getting the seafood at Cosco. You can’t go wrong.

Make the Paella

Chop up onion, 2 garlic cloves and red peppers and saute them for about 5 minutes until soft. Add paprika and stir.

Add the seafood mix and the 8 shelled shrimp. Cook until shrimp is golden.
Add the rice, stir everything and cook for 1 - 2 minutes.
Sprinkle in saffron and its soaking water, salt, pepper and both stocks. Stir to combine.
Boil the mixture on a medium low heat without stirring for about 15 minutes. DO NOT STIR THE RICE. You’ll be tempted. But don’t! Or you won’t get the coveted crispy bottom known as socarrat (see below).
The seafood and rice bubbling on the stove.
While the rice is cooking, in a second pan, fry 8 reserved shrimp and chopped garlic in olive oil.
Add to the pan the whole shrimp, muscles, clams, peas. Lay the red pepper strips on top.
Cover with foil and cook another 5 - 7 minutes, until seafood is cooked and rice is tender.
Increase the heat for 1 - 2 minutes to create that crispy layer of rice at the bottom known as “socarrat”. It’s a flavor bomb! You’ll know it is happening when you hear a crackle at the bottom of the pan. But remember: less is more. You don’t want to burn it.
Remove the pan, let it rest for 5 minutes, and bring to the table.
Listen to the oohs and aahs from your fellow diners.