PO Box 714
Innaloo City 6918
Western Australia
0419 - 937 - 351 (mobile)
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Paella
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| 1/4 cup olive oil 4 chicken thighs, diced into large pieces 12 medium king prawns, shelled and de-veined, tails left on 12 pieces firm fleshed white fish 1 red capsicum, cut into strips 6 cloves garlic, peeled 1 medium onion, very finely diced 1 ripe tomato, peeled & chopped 1 1/2 cups short grain rice 3 cups chicken stock, simmering 8-10 saffron threads, toasted, ground and added to the stock 12 fresh mussels 2 lemons, quartered |
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Heat the oil over med-high flame in a 36cm paelleras or similarly sized frypan. Brown off the chicken pieces and reserve. Seal off the prawns and fish pieces and reserve with the chicken. Reduce the heat to med-low and cook the red capsicum and garlic cloves until very soft. Reserve. Pour off the excess oil from the pan, increase heat to medium, and sauté the onion until very soft. Add the tomato and reserved garlic cloves and cook to a very thick puree (10-15 minutes). This mixture is called the sofrito and is the flavour base for the paella and many other Spanish dishes. This can be made in advance if you prefer. Add the rice, stirring until translucent and evenly distributed throughout the whole pan. Pour in the hot chicken stock with the saffron added and bring to the boil. Add the chicken, seafood and vegetables in a pinwheel pattern around the pan. Do not stir the pan once the stock is boiling. Increase the heat to med-high and rotate & swirl the pan to ensure distribute the heat evenly. When the rice absorbs enough liquid to rise to the top (8-10 minutes) reduce the heat to med-low. Continue to simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed (10 minutes) and check a grain of rice just below the surface. It should be tender but not soft and mushy. If it is still chewy add a little more stock and cook a few more minutes. Cover the pan (or lower the barbecue roasting hood if you have one) for a few minutes to finish cooking the top layer of rice, then increase the heat to med-high for about 2 minutes to toast (not burn!) the bottom layer of rice, creating what is called the socarrat. Remove the pan from the heat and rest for five minutes, then serve with lemon wedges. A very important tradition to note at this point is that the paella should be served in the paelleras, from which all your diners eat together. Dig in!
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