2012-06-18

Seafood Paella



Hello! Summer is here and nothing reminds me of the Mediterranean more, than a seafood platter..
Paella is a dish originated in Valencia, Spain. Spanish Farmers and fishermen used to make this dish with any ingredient that they had handy. You’ll see a paella using snails, any kind of legumes, chicken, fresh beans and seafood. I’m giving you a plain seafood version of the dish.

Ingredients (4 + persons)
1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 green bell pepper, cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic minced
salt - pepper
1 bay leaf
2 tomatoes grated
A pinch of saffron
1 1/2 cup short grain rice, rinsed
900 ml -  1 liter chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup summer green peas
4 squid tentacles cleaned and cut
10 medium shrimp deveined
10 to 12 mussels
10 to 12 clams 
4 fish fillets cut into two pieces
1 lemon, quartered
a handful of chopped parsley for serving

How to make

Soak the mussels and clams, in different bowls of water with a teaspoon of salt each. Leave them for 30 minutes, change the water again, add the same amount of salt and let stand another 30 minutes. Rinse and set aside. They will spit their sand using this method.


For mussels, rinse and rub with a clean sponge until the mussels are shiny and dirt free. Discard any that is open (and it’s not closing when you tap your finger on it’s shell) or if it’s broken. Grasp and remove the beard on the side. Let them in a bowl full with clean water.


 For the shrimp, cut along the back with scissors or a knife, remove and discard the black vain. Remove the shells in the body, keep their heads and tails.


Place a wide pan (preferably an ovenproof pan ) over medium heat and add 5 tablespoons of olive oil. Once hot add the chopped peppers and stir for 2 minutes. Continue adding the garlic, salt - pepper and bay leaf. Stir and add tomatoes, the saffron



Bring to a boil. Boil for 3-5 minutes, taste for salt and add rice. Stir well for 2 minutes and add the broth.



Meanwhile preheat the oven to 390 degrees. 
Bring to a boil half covered with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes. If all the liquid has evaporated and the rice is not done yet, just sprinkle water tablespoon by tablespoon over the rice and cook for few more minutes.
 Add in the green peas, squid tentacles, mussels, clams, shrimp, stir, and lay on top the fish fillets. Bring to a boil, add the lemons and transfer the food in the oven for 10 minutes.
Serve sprinkled with parsley and eat with spoons or using the shells of clams!


Be careful when you are ready to serve, check and discard any mussels and clams that have not opened during the cooking process


Enjoy!
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