Instructions
Here we go with the most typical spanish dish!
1) Chop tomato, garlic(s) and peppers into small pieces (you can slice the garlic instead) and shallow fry in the paella dish (or earthen ware dish) with the olive oil already warmed up until garlic pieces are slightly golden.
2) Cut meat into 3-4 cms pieces and add them to the paella dish to cook for 4-5 mins.
3) Cut white fish into 2-3 cms pieces and add them to the dish too. Cook for 2 mins.
4) Now you need to add in the squid rings (or pieces), the mussles, the clams (they should still be closed), the peas and the prawns. Let it cook for a further 2 mins.
Note: feel free to add more olive oil if you think it is required.
5) Now, add the food colouring (tartrazine), saffron and bay leaves, and stir with a wooden spoon. Add in the rice slowly, stir it well so the colouring tints all the ingredients evenly and add in the hard boiled eggs carefully (so the slices don´t break).
6) Dissolve the stock cube into a litre of boiling water and pour half of it over all the ingredients in the dish. Cook at medium heat for 7-8 mins. Now, pour a little more of the stock water (about 200ml) and cook for a further 8 mins. If you see the dish is boiling, it is time to lower the heat a little. It is meant to simmer, not to boil.
7) Remove 4 of the prawns for decoration.
8) Cut a lemon in 2 halfs and squeeze the juice from one half all over the paella.
9) Turn the heat off, cover the paella dish with a lid, or with tin foil, and let it rest for 20 mins.
10) Use the prawns to decorate the paella after the resting time.
TIPS
-If you want your paella to be a complete success, use fresh ingredients, and Instead of the stock cube with water, use your own home made stock, of fish or meat. It will give this dish a marvellous touch.
-Serve the dish with some lemon halfs: many people likes to squeeze some of its use over their paella as it gives it a great flavour.
-It is up to you to go for a mix paella or a just meat or just fish paella. Steps don´t vary.
-The point of squeezing some lemon juice over the paella before letting it rest is so the rice does not overcook easily.
-Paella keeps well in the fridge, although I do recommend to eat it inmediately after it has rested the 20 mins. If in need to reheat it, do it at low power and under 2 minutes in the microwave.
-If you can not find the paella colouring, increase the amount of saffron until all the ingredients are yellow.
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