Food for Friends

Seafood Paella



With Alev and Noel

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Ingredients: 1.5 litres clam or seafood broth, 1 teaspoon thread saffron, 700 grams pounds firm-fleshed fish (cut in bite-sized pieces), 1 dozen mussels, 1 dozen small clams, 6 large prawns in shells, 6 crayfish, red pepper (chopped), sea salt, 2 tablespoons fresh curly leaf parsley, (chopped), 8 cloves garlic (chopped),1 tablespoon fresh thyme, 2 teaspoons paprika, 8 tablespoons olive oil, 1 medium onion, chopped, 6 spring onions (chopped), 6 tomatoes, (peeled and chopped), 2 mugs of paella rice, 2 lemon (cut into wedges).

1. Heat the broth in a large saucepan. Stir in saffron. Pat fish, prawns and crayfish dry between paper towels. Sprinkle with a little salt and let sit 10 minutes. In a mixing bowl add the parsley, garlic, thyme and mix into a paste. Stir in paprika; add a little water if necessary to form a paste.

2. Heat 6 tablespoons of oil in a 37.5cm paella pan over medium high heat and quickly brown the fish for 1 or 2 minutes. Do not fully cook. Remove to warm platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, onion, springs and bell pepper to paella pan and cook until the vegetables are slightly softened. Raise heat, add tomato and cook until it becomes sauce-like, about 2 to 5 minutes. Pour in the hot broth and bring to a boil. Sprinkle the rice evenly across the pan. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring rice and rotating pan occasionally. Add all reserved fish (but not pranws and crayfish). Stir in parsley paste. Taste for salt. Do not stir after this point. Lower the heat, continue to simmer until rice is no longer soupy but enough liquid remains to continue cooking the rice (about 10 minutes.). Add extra liquid if necessary.

3. Now arrange prawns, crayfish, clams and mussels over rice, placing the edges of mussel and clam shells so they open facing up. Cook, uncovered, for 15 - 20 minutes until rice is almost done. Remove pan from the heat and cover with foil. Let sit 10 minutes. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve.