Preparing this delicious Spanish dish was always on my “to-do” list. This is a terrific mid-week lunch and the left overs are also great to grab for dinner and it is still also very impressive as a dish to serve to guests.
Servings 4servings
Ingredients
1tbspneutral vegetable oilsee notes
300gshrimp or prawns of your choice,peeled and divined (see notes)
250gfresh sea bream fish fillet cleaned and cut into medium fillet cubes (see notes)
250gfresh squid cleaned and cut into rings (see notes)
1medium onion, diced
3-4garlic cloves, minced
½cupcapsicum diced (red, green, orange, yellow any color of your choice)
1tbsptomato paste
1tbspsweet Spanish paprika
1tspturmeric grounded
1tspsea salt
½tspblack pepper
½cuptomato pure
1cuprisotto rice(of any rice of your choice)
2 ½cupfish broth
¼tspsaffron threads
¼cupchopped fresh coriander
¼cupChopped fresh parsley
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
Step 00: if you are preparing the fish stock like me at home, you can start first with it or you can even prepare in advance the night before or days before and store it in the freezer. Wash the rice and soak in water for 30 minutes.
Step 01: heat oil on medium heat in a wide paella pan or normal similar pan. add your shrimp and cook for 2 minutes until they are cooked and pink. Remove the shrimp and add the fish and cook till crispy golden edges. Remove the fish and add the squid pieces and cook till golden brown edges. Set aside all cooked seafood.
Step 02: in the same pan, add the diced onions and cook till tender and transparent. Add the garlic and cook through for 30 seconds until you smell the garlic. Add the chopped capsicum and cook for 3 minutes till tender.
Step 03: add tomato paste and mix till it coats all the veggies in the pan. Add salt and all the seasonings and mix till everything is coated. Add the tomato puree and mix till you start to see some bubbles. Add washed and drained rice to the mixture and mix.
Step 04: add the fish broth (warm), and mix. bring the mixture to boil. Lower the heat Add the saffron and simmer the mixture uncovered for 5 minutes.
Step 05: after 5 minutes, add the chopped coriander and mix it with the rice mixture. Add back the cooked seafood. Cover and simmer on lowest heat for 7 minutes.
Step 06: after the 7 minutes pass, turn off the heat and remove the lid add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and the freshly chopped parsley give it a stir and cover back. Let it rest covered with heat off for extra 5 to 10 minutes.
Serve with some freshly squeezed lemon and garnish with some parsley, enjoy!!
Notes
For the seafood: You can mix and match with seafood as you like, and you can also add chicken and sausage. Just use the same steps and cook all protein first and set aside and start preparing your rice.
For the oil: in the traditional recipe they use olive oil but I prefer to use a neutral vegetable oil that has higher burning temperature like rapeseed oil. You can use any oil of your choice.
For the rice: you can use the Spanish traditional one. And for a similar shape and texture use the risotto rice it is easier to use and if you happen to have any other kind of rice you can also use.
Leftovers: you can store leftovers in airtight glass container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just make sure it is completely cold before you close the lid.