Seafood Paella 

Paella with seafood!

How much I love paella, however you prepare it:
of vegetables, fish, meat and everything!

It's amazing how a simple dish originally was born to strengthen with rice that was there in the kitchen, including leftovers, it has become by now a rich preparation; a preparation in which rice, playing a role as supporting actor.
Not to say from the shoulder.

My favorite version and with many seafood and, always and rigorously, peppers, onions, tomatoes and peas. And then... respectful of tradition with what I find at home and in the morning when I go shopping.
Much also depends on what I would like to put on the table and eat that day; and also to the aspect I want the dish to have when it is on the table.

Crustaceans still intact and shellfish in the shell are a sight to be seen but not comfortable to eat.
And so you have to find a happy medium between appearance and "consistency."

Personally I really like the version with cuttlefish, squid, shrimp, prawns, mussels and other shellfish; adding maybe even pieces of fish that are not fies.
And in addition to the vegetables listed I also do not disdain a nice handful of stringed beans: they are always good.

Do not be surprised by the quantity, apparently scarce, of the rice: there are many ingredients and, even if served as a single dish, it is a very abundant dish.
I, depending on the appetite of the guests, calculate from thirty to a maximum of fifty grams of rice per person.
And I can assure you it is rare that the pan is emptied to the bottom.

What I present here is a rather simple version for four guests.
Nobody complained about the portions.

An important detail, not to be overlooked, is the pan. Ideal is the typical paella of iron but also a good steel pan is fine.
To avoid the frying pans in non-stick material: the shells of the molluscs would make it unusable in a short time and then ... a good paella has failed if a crust has not formed on the bottom of the pan!
(that with soaking, wool and elbow grease comes clean though, at the end!)

Here, starting as always with the ingredients, this version of my paella simplified.

Ingredients for four people:

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arborio rice

g.

150

extra virgin olive oil

q.s.

garlic

cloves

2

vegetable soup (v. Note)

ml.

300

mussels

g.

600

cod (in four parts)

g.

400

peeled king prawns

pc.

4

turmeric

ct.

2

saffron

sachet

1

big pepper

pc.

1

coarse yellow onion

pc.

1

tomato salad

pz

1

frozen peas

g.

100

frozen shrimp

g.

100

salt and pepper

QB

lemon juice

TS.

3

lemon slices (optional)

pc.

4

Preparation:

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Clean the mussels and let them open hot; sgusciarne half.
Cut onion, pepper and tomato into small pieces.

Heat oil in a pan and fry the onion over medium heat, add the pepper, drizzle with part of turmeric and just for a moment to blow up together even tomato. Remove everything from the pan (v. Note) and, adding also the part of shelled mussels, reserve it with any cooking liquid for later (v. Note).

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In the same pan, without cleaning it, add more oil and brown the garlic cloves, whole but crushed with a knife blade.
Remove the garlic just given off all its aroma and proceed with roasting at fairly high heat rice.

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As soon as the rice is toasted at the right point (like for a risotto), soak it with more than half of the broth, boiling, raise the heat to the maximum adding the vegetables (and any seafood) prepared first.
From this moment on, the cooking will continue in sharp focus.

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Complete the pan seasoning with the remaining turmeric, mix and add the pieces of fish, shrimp and peas and mussels with shells.
Do not forget to mix as little as possible: the fact that something then sticks to the bottom of the pan is part of this preparation!

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Halfway through cooking add the saffron, dissolving it in the cooking liquid with a ladle. Check that the paella is not drying too much and add more broth if necessary.

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After about fourteen minutes the paella, like a good risotto, is cooked but not ready.
Remove it from the heat and after having sprinkled it with lemon juice let it rest for another five minutes to dry and the rice reaches the right consistency.

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Paella is on the table: enjoy your meal!

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ADVICES AND NOTES:

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  • print pdf Recipe, text only: to print or download.
  • Broth: It is always advisable to have enough, even more than necessary, without forgetting that even the vegetables and the fish will leave a lot of liquid.
  • To reserve: If you have a very large pan and a flame of adequate size you can move these ingredients on the edges, add more oil and proceed to toast the rice; but with large quantities it is difficult to manage the temperature of the fire because it is high enough to toast the rice but without burning the condiments: we are talking about cooking for everyone, to do at home. Not a professional kitchen!
  • Other seafood: After sautéing the onion and adding the pepper, if you want cuttlefish and / or squid, you have to add them at this point, before turmeric and tomato.
  • Decorating the pan with slices of lemon cut in half and placed on the edges is always a good idea: ... but not always respect.
  • Here follow two small presentations of other preparations of paella, one, unusual, baked in the oven!

A very abundant paella, more than my pans, cooked in a large oven-proof dishAs a pilaf.

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In this other version, for a quiet midday in the house, the seafood were all already shelled, the calamari cut into pieces and, in addition to the peas, many green beans.

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Your comments are welcome!
Leave them in the form at the bottom of the page:

 

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