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Paella is a one of the world's most famous rice dishes, and
this version is a seafood extravaganza. Traditionally, paella
is prepared in a paellera (a wide, shallow pan with looped handles)
and cooked over an outdoor fire. However, it's easy to cook
paella to authentic perfection in your own kitchen over the
stovetop. The following paella recipe serves 4, and for best
results cook in a 14 or 15-inch paellera. A large shallow frying
pan makes an acceptable substitute. |
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Chop
the vegetables |
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Finely
chop 1 red onion, dice
1 red and 1 green pepper (capsicum), finely
chop 4 cloves of garlic, and finely chop 2 tablespoons of
fresh flat-leaf parsley. |
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Using a box grater, puree 2 ripe tomatoes (vine-ripened
are best), discarding the skin. Alternatively you can
use a cup of canned peeled tomatoes mashed with a fork.
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Peel
and devein 16 large raw shrimp (prawns), cut 2 squid tubes
into rings, and scrub and debeard 12 fresh mussels. Cover and
refrigerate. |
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Sofrito
is a Spanish tomato and onion sauce which is used
as a flavor base for a variety of dishes, including
paella. To make the sofrito, heat 2 tablespoons of
extra
virgin olive oil in the paella pan over a medium
heat and cook the chopped red onion, 2 tablespoons
of parsley and 3 of the chopped garlic cloves for
8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the pureed tomatoes
and 2 teaspoons of paprika (preferably Spanish
smoked paprika) and cook until all the liquid
from the tomatoes has evaporated and the sofrito has
the consistency of jam. Transfer the sofrito to a
small bowl and wipe clean the paella pan.
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While
the sofrito is cooking, place the mussels in a saucepan with
half a cup of simmering water. Cover and steam on a low heat
for 5 minutes. Remove mussels and set aside, discarding any
that haven't opened. |
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Cook
the shrimp and squid
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Heat
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in the paella
pan over a medium-high heat. Add the remaining clove
of chopped garlic and the shrimp and cook for 1½
minutes, tossing continuously. Add the squid rings and
cook for a further 1½ minutes. Remove the shrimp
and squid from the paella pan and lightly season with
salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and set
aside.
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Cook
the diced red and green peppers |
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Heat
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in the paella pan over
a medium heat and cook the diced red and green peppers for 6
minutes, stirring occasionally. |
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Add
the sofrito back to the pan along with 1½ cups
of Spanish Calasparra
or Bomba rice (regular medium-grain rice makes a good
substitute) and cook for a minute, stirring to coat
the grains.
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Add
hot stock, saffron, salt and pepper and cook without stirring |
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Add
3 cups of heated fish or chicken stock, a pinch of saffron
threads, 1½ teaspoons sea salt and ½ teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine, and bring to a
rolling simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, uncovered without stirring.
(To make sure the rice cooks evenly you will need to regularly
move the paella pan around the heat source, or you can stradle
the paella pan over two burners.) |
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Lower
the heat and continue cooking
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Lower
the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for a further 15
minutes without stirring. After 15 minutes, turn the
heat up to medium-high for a minute or so until you
can smell the rice toasting at the bottom, then remove
the paella pan from the heat. (The toasted rice bottom
of a paella is called socorrat and is highly
prized.)
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Add
seafood and peas and cover |
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Push
the reserved shrimp, mussels and squid into the cooked rice,
and scatter with half a cup of defrosted green peas. Cover the
pan with foil or a clean cloth, and let the paella rest for
5 minutes. |
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Present
the paella in the pan at the table with lemon wedges
on the side for drizzling.
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2004 - 2008 MEDITERRASIAN.COM
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