SEAFOOD AND CHORIZO PAELLA
Serves: 4
■ 4 cups (1 L) chicken stock,
plus extra if needed
■ 30 threads saffron
■ 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
■ 1/2 onion, chopped
■ 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 10 piquillo peppers, seeded, deveined and chopped
■ 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
■ 1 tsp (5 ml) smoked paprika
■ 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) bomba rice
■ 15 mussels, scrubbed clean
■ 15 clams, scrubbed clean
■ 12 prawns, peeled and deveined
■ 12 squid, cleaned and halved
■ 6 oz (170 g) Spanish chorizo, cut into a 1/2-inch (1.25-cm) dice
■ 1 cup (250 ml) fresh or frozen peas To serve:
■ Grated Parmesan
■ Microgreens or sprouts
■ Extra virgin olive oil ■ 1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped Italian parsley
■ Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
■ Juice of 1/2 lemon, or to taste
1. In a saucepan, combine stock and saffron and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Keep warm.
2. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-low heat. Add onions and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until translucent.
3. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in peppers, tomatoes and smoked paprika. Add rice and mix well, to ensure grains are lightly coated with oil.
4. Pour in stock, ensuring rice is completely submerged. Bring to a gentle simmer on medium heat and cook for 10-12 minutes, until rice is 75 per cent cooked. Be careful not to boil or let the pan go dry; add more stock if needed.
5. Add mussels, clams, prawns, squid and chorizo to the pan and cover. (Note: When using fresh peas, add with seafood instead to allow a longer cooking time.)
6. Lower heat to medium-low and cook for another 5 minutes until rice absorbs remaining stock and is completely cooked and mussels and clams have opened. (Do not stir in seafood.) Fold in peas and cover. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes.
7. To finish, add parsley and season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
Chef’s note: I fell in love with paella the first time I had it in Spain. Resist the temptation to stir it. Instead, let it sit and take its time to develop the flavours and the socarrat, which is the delicious, crunchy crust that forms along the bottom of the dish. But take care not to overcook the various types of seafood. Never throw everything into the pan at once.