Spanish Paella

Seafood Paella is a beloved dish that epitomizes Spain's vibrant and flavourful cuisine. This traditional rice-based dish features a colourful medley of seafood, including succulent King Prawns, tender mussels, and tender calamari, cooked to perfection with aromatic spices, fresh herbs, and saffron-infused rice. The result is a mouthwatering and fragrant dish that delivers a symphony of flavours and textures with each bite. Whether enjoyed as a family meal or as the centerpiece of a festive gathering, Spanish Seafood Paella is a crowd-pleasing dish that will transport you to the sun-kissed shores of Spain. Discover the magic of this iconic Spanish dish and experience the tantalizing flavours of the Mediterranean.

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 10 large King prawns 
• 500ml fish stock
• 500g mussels
• large pinch of saffron strands
• 150g cooking chorizo, cut into chunks
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 medium squid (about 300g), cleaned and cut into rings with tentacles intact
• 2 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 250g paella rice
• 100g frozen podded broad beans or peas (or a mixture of the two), defrosted
• 1 lemon, finely zested then cut into wedges
• smoked sea salt (optional)

Method:

1. Heat the stock in a wide, shallow pan. 
2. Scatter the mussels into the pan, cover the pan loosely with a lid or tea towel, then put over a high heat for 3-4 mins until the mussels just open. Stir to release the mussel juices, then pour the contents of the pan into a colander set over a large bowl containing the saffron. Let the saffron steep in the stock – you will need 700ml in total, so top up with water if needed and give everything a good stir. Pick the mussels out from the colander, then set aside.
3. Wipe out the pan and add the rest of the olive oil. Sizzle the chorizo until it releases its oil, then add the onion and garlic and cook until softened. Add the squid and turn over until it turns white. Add the tomatoes and cook down for a minute, then pour over most of the stock, give everything a good stir and bring to the boil.
4. Scatter the rice over the stock, stir well once, then boil vigorously for 5 mins. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and slowly simmer for 10 mins without stirring until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid.
5. Add the prawns into the rice and simmer for 5 mins, turning them over until cooked through. Stir through the mussels and broad beans or peas. Taste the rice – if it is still a little raw but the pan is dry, add a splash more stock and continue to cook; if it’s too wet, then increase the heat to cook off the last of the stock.
6. Once the rice is just cooked, turn off the heat and cover with a tea towel for a few minutes. Scatter over the parsley leaves and lemon zest, then season with smoked salt if you like. Stir everything once, then serve straight from the pan, with lemon wedges on the side.