Serves 8-10 as a starter or 6 as a main course which is usually a long late lunch with a nice bottle or two of red and/or white wine.
We use a big cast iron wok to cook paella and left overs are just as delicious the next day.
Garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, chopped finely
about 10 sprigs of thyme
1 red capsicum, diced
1 green capsicum, diced
1 jar tomato passata
salt
400 g (paella) rice
about 1 cup peas
½ litre water (or vege stock)
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 litre stock (fish, chicken or vegetable)
pinch of saffron
OPTIONAL
To work out how much to make – have 2 pieces per person
Pieces of Fish, Chicken, Chorizo, Pork and/or Beef etc
Add extra vegetables if not using meat and/or extra fish depending on the number of people.
All or some of the following:- seasonal and available fresh is best!!
1/2 kg cubed firm fish, like blue eye
400 g cleaned calamari pieces
12 large prawns
12 mussels
500 g clams lemon wedges
Place the pan on low heat with a little olive oil and garlic.
Add chicken pieces, stir fry until golden. Remove from pan.
Add any meat pieces, stir fry to brown. Remove from pan.
Add the chorizo pieces, stir fry until just browning. Remove from pan.
Add the onion and stir briefly.
Add the thyme and stir fry to soften the onions.
Add the red and green capsicum and season with salt. Stir fry and cook for 10 minutes.
Replace the chicken/meat/chorizo and stir fry all together a couple of minutes.
Add half the tomato passata and stir in, then cook for a few minutes more.
Add the rice and stir for a couple of minutes.
Add the (fish) stock mixed with the remainder of the tomato passata and the peas.
Mix the saffron in with vege stock or water and put aside. Water in the passata bottle is good too.
Add the seafood starting with calamari and the fish.
Keep the heat on low and limit stirring the rice.
Place the prawns neatly on top and add the saffron stock mixture.
Top with the mussels and clams and simmer until the shells have opened.
Add chopped parsley and cover the paella with a lid or foil for the last 5-10 minutes of cooking.
Turn off the heat and allow the rice to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
Serve with lemon wedges and salad.
Recent Comments