Paella
Paella is perhaps the quintessential Spanish dish. Its basis is rice, saffron and olive oil, but argument can rage over what other ingredients — chicken, seafood, snails, peas, chorizo — should or should not be included. What is without doubt, however, is that it is delicious.
Ingredients
125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) white wine
1 small, chopped red onion
12–16, cleaned black mussels
125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) olive oil
1 small, cut into bite-sized pieces chicken breast fillet
1, finely chopped streaky bacon slice
4 cloves, crushed garlic
1 small, finely chopped red capsicum (pepper)
1/2 small, extra, finely chopped red onion
1, peeled and choppedvine-ripened tomato
90 g (3 ¼ oz), thinly sliced chorizo
a pinch cayenne pepper
200 g (7 oz/1 cup) paella or short-grain rice
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups), heated chicken stock
80 g (2 ¾ oz/½ cup) fresh or frozen peas
12, peeled and deveined raw prawns (shrimp)
100 g (3 ½ oz), cleaned and cut into rings squid
100 g (3 ½ oz), skinned and cut into bite-sized pieces cod fillets
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
Method
Step 1
Heat wine and onion in a large saucepan. Add the mussels, cover and gently shake pan for 4–5 minutes over high heat. After 3 minutes, start removing the opened mussels from the pan and set them aside. At the end of 5 minutes, discard any mussels that have not opened. Drain, reserving the liquid. Strain liquid through a fine sieve lined with muslin (cheesecloth) and reserve.
Step 2
Heat half the oil in a large frying pan. Pat chicken dry with paper towels, then cook the chicken for 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Step 3
Heat remaining oil in the pan, add the bacon, garlic, capsicum and extra red onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until the onion is softened but not browned. Add tomato, chorizo and cayenne pepper. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in the reserved cooking liquid, then add the rice and mix well.
Step 4
Soak the saffron threads in 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) hot stock, then add this mixture, along with the remaining stock, to the rice and mix well. Bring slowly to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, without stirring.
Step 5
Put the peas, chicken, prawns, squid and fish on top of the rice. Using a wooden spoon, push pieces of the seafood into the rice, cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the seafood is cooked. Add the mussels for the last 5 minutes to heat through. If the rice is not quite cooked, add a little extra stock and cook for a few more minutes. Leave to rest for 5 minutes, covered, then sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Step 6
Fish substitution ling, mahi mahi, blue-eye, monkfish
The best recipes from Australia's leading chefs straight to your inbox.
Sign up
