Seafood paella

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• Fish(s), mixed, for approx. 1.5 – 2 liters of fish broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 250 g tomatoes, chopped or peeled, from the can
• 1 large bell pepper(s), red
• 2 m.-sized onion(s)
• 2 cloves garlic
• olive oil
• 2 m.-sized squid(s), about 350 g
• 2 m.-sized cuttlefish, about 350 g, with squid spleen, “V” shape, brown contents (not the ink!!!)
• 6 Norway lobster(s)
• 6 shrimp(s)
• 250 g clams, small, alternatively other mussels
• salt and pepper
• Paprika powder
• cane sugar
• 350 g short grain rice

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 40 minutes

Paella de marisco – juicy rice with seafood

I should first say that I live in Barcelona and therefore have easy access to fresh seafood. Perhaps you’d like to try this recipe when you’re on vacation in the south, or even with frozen seafood (you can also get good quality frozen seafood). To prepare the fish broth: Wash the fish mixture for the broth and cook it in salted water with 1 bay leaf over medium heat for at least 30 minutes. The longer the broth cooks, the more intense the flavor will be. You’ll need about 1.5 liters for the paella. Paella: Wash the seafood in cold water, pat dry with kitchen paper, cut into bite-sized pieces, and set aside. VERY IMPORTANT: Save the ink sacs from inside the cuttlefish! Wash and chop the bell peppers. Finely chop the onion and garlic. Place the paella pan on the heat (low heat) and add a generous splash of olive oil. Sauté the chopped onion and bell pepper for at least 15 minutes, until they almost turn a little brown. Season with plenty of paprika, a little salt, pepper, and brown sugar. Remove the mixture from the pan and set aside. Fry the seafood in the pan with a little extra olive oil and the garlic for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside. Return the paprika and onion mixture to the pan, add the tomatoes, mix, heat through, and season with salt and pepper. Carefully cut open the cuttlefish ink sacs and add the contents. Mix well. Add the short-grain rice and fry for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add a little olive oil as needed to prevent the rice from burning. Then add the langoustines, shrimp, mussels, squid, and cuttlefish to the paella pan. Gradually add the fish stock. You’ll probably need about 1.5 liters in total to make moist rice. Don’t add the fish stock all at once, but add it little by little, stirring the paella gently with a wooden spoon over the course of 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C to give the paella its final touches. Once the rice is al dente, add more or less fish stock to create a juicier or drier paella, depending on your taste. Once you’ve got the paella to your liking, return it to the preheated oven for 10 minutes.