EASY SEAFOOD PAELLA

Preparation

I understand that calling this recipe a Paella might trigger a response from traditionalists, and they would be correct, this isn’t a classic one nor does it truly respect the steps of a classic paella but in my humble view it still has the backbone of the original dish with the plus side of being incredibly easy, relatively quick but still very tasty and showstopper worthy!

Select fresh (or frozen) seafood that cooks quickly and is available to you. I wouldn’t mind the addition of white fish, like cod or hake but make sure it is deboned. Prepare a ‘fake’ stock like me or use a pre-made one for quickness and make sure to use the new Easy-Cook parboiled rice by Riso Gallo for the optimum balance between quality grains and speedy cooking time.

Method 

Start by making sure that all the seafood is ready to be cooked. The mussels need to be well rinsed at least twice and the fuzzy mussels’ beard attached to them. Remove the heads and shells from the prawns and devein them. Slice the calamari thinly.

Keep the seafood cool and always refrigerated until it is time to fully cook it.

To make the fake stock like I did, rinse the prawns’ heads then place them into a bottle or a large jar. Add about 1 lt of fresh water and the tomato paste as well as salt and pepper. Shake very well to smash the prawns’ heads and infuse the water with their flavour. Now pass through a fine sieve and dress the stock with a few drops of lemon juice, a drizzle of oil and let the saffron soak into it. Keep it always refrigerated.

To make the paella, fry the shallots and pepper with olive oil in a large pan on high heat for about 3 minutes, then add the rice, season with salt and stir for 2 minutes (add chilli if you like). Pour in the stock making sure the rice is well distributed in the pan and well covered. Now let it cook on medium high heat without mixing for at least 5 minutes. The stock will gradually evaporate and the flavour concentrate into the rice.

At this stage add the mussels on top of the rice (without mixing the rice) and cover with a lid. The steam will allow the mussels to cook and open and therefore release their juices into the rice to deepen its seafood flavour. When only 2 minutes are left, add the sliced squids and prawns, a little pinch of salt and a drizzle of oil, the remaining cooking time of the rice will be just enough for them to be cooked but still soft and juicy.

Now taste the rice and if you are happy with the texture remove from the heat and let it rest for a couple of minutes before serving.

Garnish with lemon zest, chopped parsley and fresh herbs.

Chef’s tip: Keep some water always ready on the side while cooking paella in case the stock is all evaporated and absorbed but you still feel the rice needs extra cooking time. Trust your cooking instinct.