Paella

Name: Paella
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 3 tbsp Olive oil; 10 pcs Large raw prawns; bunch Parsley; 100 ml Dry Madeira or sherry brandy; 500 g Mussels; 1 pinch Saffron; 150 g Chorizo; 1 pcs Onion; 3 clove Garlic; 1 pcs Squid; 2 pcs Tomato; 250 g Paella rice; 100 g Broad beans; 1 pcs Lemon zest; to taste Smoked salt

A classic Spanish dish with seafood, where tender rice absorbs fragrant broth infused with chorizo cracklings and mussel juice. Paella is a festive treat for those who love seafood delicacies.

Ingredients

3 tbsp Olive oil
10 pcs Large raw prawns
bunch Parsley
100 ml Dry Madeira or sherry brandy
500 g Mussels
1 pinch Saffron
150 g Chorizo
1 pcs Onion
3 clove Garlic
1 pcs Squid
2 pcs Tomato
250 g Paella rice
100 g Broad beans
1 pcs Lemon zest
to taste Smoked salt

Instructions

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a wide skillet. Add the prawn heads and parsley stems, sauté until the heads turn pink. Lightly crush them with a potato masher. Pour in the sherry brandy and 300 ml of water, season with salt and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, occasionally crushing the heads to create an aromatic broth.
Place the mussels in the skillet, cover with a lid or kitchen towel and turn the heat to high. Cook for 3–4 minutes until the mussels open. Stir to release their juice and strain everything through a sieve into a large bowl with a pinch of saffron. Let the saffron infuse in the hot broth. You should have about 700 ml of broth; if less, top up with water and stir well. Remove the mussels from the sieve and set aside.
Wipe the skillet, add the remaining olive oil. Sauté the sliced chorizo until it releases its fat and oil. Add the diced onion and garlic, cook until soft. Add the sliced squid and stir until it turns white. Add the diced tomatoes and warm for a minute, then pour in most of the aromatic saffron broth. Stir well and bring to a boil. Scatter the rice over the surface of the broth, stir once and cook on high heat for 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to minimum and cook the rice for another 10 minutes without stirring, until it absorbs most of the liquid.
Arrange the prawn tails over the rice and cook for 5 minutes, turning them to ensure they cook through. Add the reserved mussels and broad beans. Taste the rice – if it's still slightly undercooked but the skillet is nearly dry, pour in a little more broth and continue cooking. If the rice is too wet, increase the heat to evaporate the excess liquid.
When the rice is done, turn off the heat and cover the skillet with a kitchen towel for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle with parsley leaves and lemon zest, season with smoked salt to taste. Stir once and serve directly from the skillet with lemon wedges on the side.