Paella

• Serves 4

• Preparation time: 20 minutes

• Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
400g Calasparra rice
500g (1lb) mussels, cleaned
2 king prawns
1 blue swimmer crab, cleaned, quartered
4 baby calamari hoods, cleaned
4 yabbies
2L fish or chicken stock
salt and pepper
200g (7oz) fresh or frozen peas
2 lemons, halved
2 limes, halved
chopped parsley, to garnish

For the sofrito
150ml (5fl oz) olive oil
15ml (½fl oz) sherry vinegar
3 large ripe oxheart tomatoes
½ chorizo sausage
3 pink eschallots, peeled
4 cloves garlic, peeled
4 piquillo peppers
½ bunch thyme, leaves only
½ bunch mint
½ bunch parsley
½ bunch coriander
1 bunch chives
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon spicy paprika
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Method

To make sofrito, place all ingredients in a food processor. Process until smooth.
Heat oil in a large paella pan. Add rice. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until it changes colour from white to transparent.

Stir in 12 large tablespoons of the sofrito. Cook for 3 minutes. Add seafood and stock. Season. Cook, over medium heat, without stirring, for about 25 minutes or until stock has been absorbed and rice is almost tender. Reduce heat to low and cook for a further 3 minutes to form a nice ‘soccarrada’ or crust on the bottom. If hob plate is not as big as pan, move pan around a little during cooking to ensure even heat. Add peas and remove from heat.

Stand, covered with a tea towel, for 5 minutes. Squeeze over lemons and limes and season. Garnish with parsley. Serve paella warm, not steaming hot.

Notes