Paella de Marisco: Spanish seafood rice recipe

Name of the dish: Paella de Marisco

Paella is a dish which originated in the mid 19th Century at the Eastern Coast of Spain in Valenciana community. World’s largest paella was made by Chef Juan Galbis in 1992. This paella served 1,10,000 people and made it into the Guinness Book of World Record. Traditionally, paella is cooked in open fire. Orange and pine branches are used to ignite the fire on which paella is cooked. There are three major categories of paella — Valenciana paella, seafood paella, and mixed paella. Here is a description of the recipe of seafood paella with lobsters, cuttlefish and shrimps and rice braised with Sofrito. This is cooked in Paellera, which is a flat round pan with two handles. Spanish traditionally eat Paella in Paellera itself.

Complexity level: Difficult

Time taken: 2 hours

Ingredients:

  • Medium squid (2 in count)
  • Mussels (900 grams)
  • Norway lobsters (200 grams)
  • Deep water rose shrimps (250 grams)
  • Fish broth (5 cups)
  • Medium grain rice (2 cups, uncooked)
  • Tomatoes (2 medium)
  • Tomato paste
  • Yellow onions (1 piece, diced)
  • Clams (450 grams, fresh, frozen and small)
  • Cuttlefish (200 grams)
  • Red pepper (seeded and sliced)
  • Peas (50 grams, frozen)
  • Red and yellow bell pepper (1 medium each)
  • Olive oil (As per usage)
  • Garlic (one clove)
  • Saffron (For coloring)
  • Parsley for garnishing
  • Salt (To taste)
  • Sofrito (1/2 cup)
  • Water (As per usage)
  • Wine (As per usage)

Ingredients for Sofrito:

  • Two green peppers
  • 2 large tomatoes
  • 2 medium onions
  • 1 head of peeled garlic
  • One red sweet pepper
  • One bunch cilantro
  • 1/2 bunch parsley

Process:

First, prepare the Sofrito, which is used as base for many Spanish dishes. Chop the vegetables into a size to fit into the food processor. Blend the vegetables in the blender and if necessary add olive oil or water to this mixture and keep it aside.

Make a broth using the shrimps. Take 1 teaspoon of olive oil in Paellera. Add rose shrimps, onion, garlic and bay leaves, and saute for 3 minutes. Add tomato paste, water, and wine, and bring it to boil. Cook it for 35 minutes and then keep it aside for 15 minutes. Pour it in a blender and blend until smooth. Strain the mixture through sieve into bowl and discard the solid. Keep it aside.

Heat olive oil in the paellera. Add mussels and cook them until they open. Keep them aside. Now saute the Norway lobsters and the rose pink shrimps. Then remove both shrimps and the lobsters. Now saute the chopped cuttlefish and the shrimp tail. Next saute red yellow and green bell peppers for 2 minutes and keep them aside. Shallow fry the green peas as well for 2-3 minutes.

Saute the garlic, add grated tomato and cook it until it leaves the oil at the edges of the paellera. Add the rice and braise it with the Sofrito. Now add the seafood broth and then saffron to add color to the recipe. Add salt to taste and sufficient amount of water to cook the rice. Allow the rice to cook in open for 25-30 minutes. Then arrange the lobsters, mussels, rose shrimps, fried bell peppers, cuttlefish and allow it to cook for another 5-10 minutes. Put the fried green peas and garnish with parsley and lemon.

You are ready to taste the voluptuous national dish of Spain. Serve it hot in the traditional Paellera.

Tips:

  • While blending the vegetables for Sofrito, add water or 1 tablespoon of Olive oil to make a smooth paste.

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