Think of it as Spanish fried rice and so much more. Cooking the rice in a fragrant broth ensures that the seafood remains tender and succulent.
Ingredients:
4 tbs olive oil
2 tbs butter
5 cloves garlic, crushed
3 cups basmati rice
31⁄2 cups chicken stock
1 onion, chopped
2 red peppers, julienned
1 cup peas
A pinch of saffron
assorted seafood: 15 each of prawns, squid pieces + mussels
seasonings: 1⁄2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp oregano
Directions:
- Heat up chicken stock. Once boiled add in saffron. Put aside.
- On a low fire in a paella pan / flat pan, heat oil and butter and cook prawns for 2 minutes. Lift prawns and put aside.
- Fry onions, garlic and peppers until translucent – about 5 mins. Add seasonings.
- Add rice and coat it with oil and seasonings. Add stock and let it simmer for 20–25 mins. Make sure to add stock one tablespoon at a time to keep it moist.
- When rice is almost cooked, add in squid and mussels.
- Lightly fluff a fork through rice to check that it doesn’t burn in the middle.
- When mussels and squid are cooked, add in peas and prawns, cook further for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Tips:
Don’t stir too hard or else the rice will break and turn mushy. Cover it with foil / a lid halfway so that the paella will cook with steam. Use saffron sparingly. Too much and it will be bitter.
Pantry:
If you can’t find saffron, use ½ tsp yellow food coloring for similar color. However you will not get the aromatic fragrance of true paella.
This recipe is courtesy of Electrolux Free Standing Cookers
