Seafood paella
No trip to Spain would be complete without sampling their famous rice dish, paella. The ingredients vary from region to region, but we've used monkfish, squid and mussels for this version. Serve with crusty bread.
Ingredients
Serves: 4
- large pinch of saffron threads
- 900 ml (1½ pints) fish stock, preferably home-made
- 400 g (14 oz) squid
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 200 g (7 oz) monkfish fillet, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- ½ tsp paprika, or to taste
- 2 large red peppers, seeded and chopped
- 250 g (8½ oz) long-grain rice
- 1 can chopped tomatoes, about 225 g
- 150 g (5½ oz) frozen peas
- 12 mussels, scrubbed and beards removed
- 3 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- salt and pepper
Method
Prep:30min ›
Cook:35min ›
Ready in:1hr5min
- Put the saffron threads in a large, wide, heavy-based pan over a moderate heat and stir constantly until they just begin to give off their aroma. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Remove the pan from the heat, cover and set aside to infuse.
- To prepare the squid, pull the head, tentacles and insides from the bodies. Discard the head and the hard beak from the base of the tentacles. Pull out the clear quill from the bodies, and discard. Use your fingers to rub the thin grey skin from the bodies, holding them under running water. Slice the bodies into thin strips and chop the tentacles. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan. Add the monkfish pieces and quickly fry on all sides until lightly browned. Remove the fish and set aside. Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the pan. Add the garlic, onion and paprika and cook over a moderate heat for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the red peppers and continue cooking for about 3 minutes or until the vegetables are softened but not brown.
- Stir in the rice so all the grains are well coated with oil. Bring the saffron-infused stock to simmering point and add half of it to the rice. Stir, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes or until the liquid is almost all absorbed.
- Add the rice mixture to the stock remaining in the large pan. Gently stir in the tomatoes with their juice, the peas and monkfish pieces. Arrange the mussels on the top. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Very gently stir in the squid, then simmer for a further 15 minutes or until the rice is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove the pan from the heat, cover and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Discard any mussels that have not opened. Sprinkle the top of the paella with the parsley and serve.
Each serving provides
B1, B6, B12, C, niacin, copper, selenium * A, E, folate, iron, potassium, zinc * B2, calcium
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Reviews & ratings
Average global rating:
(8)
Reviews in English (6)
Yummy! I also put less squid and monkfish and added some prawns, but upon reflection you do need the squid and monkfish to make it authentic, so next time I will keep them in. Also I used more paprika than half a tspn: it's a huge amount of stuff you end up with here so you need a stronger flavour I think. The fresh parsley, salt and peppe, and lemon slices to serve are essential, otherwise the fishy richness is a bit overwhelming. - 18 Feb 2010
Cooked this for family, added a few bits like squid scallops and changed monkfish for haddock, Really easy. Be careful when adding fish as I did over cook them slightly. Otherwise really nice dish. - 02 Jul 2012
Very easy and delicious! However as my family are fans of prawns I reduced the amount of squid and added prawns accordingly. - 11 Jan 2010