FK EURO SUMMER with this weekday paella
Looks fancy as F. Tastes fancy as F. But the truth is if you can make a risotto: you can make paella! In fact YOU DO WAY LESS WITH PAELLA. So pour yourself a wine, and pop your feet up babe.
I think so many of us Aussies shy away from a paella because it seems unachievable. The fragrant Spanish dish brings a celebratory vibe, something you think of indulging in oceanside a plane with a stop over away. But really, you can make it in your uggs and trackies, with pantry, fridge and freezer staples.
“The fragrant Spanish dish brings a celebratory vibe, something you think of having oceanside a plane ride with a stop over away. But really, you can make it in your uggs and trackies, with pantry, fridge and freezer staples.”
While risotto requires constant stirring, constant ladling of stock, paella requires all stock added at once, to cook undisturbed. Risotto is like a new born baby - attached to your nips, entirely dependent on you. Paella is like a teenager - leave it be and it will like you more.
The hardest part about cooking a paella is only the urge not to stir it.
TRUTH BOMBS ABOUT PAELLA I BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW
you do not need the proper paella pan (paellera) to cook paella. You can use a reg skillet
you do not need proper paella rice to cook paella you can use Arborio (risotto rice)
Bintango Hot Sauce needs to be the new cover girl for the dish. Compliments it so well.
As summery as it is, it also makes a bloody cracking winter comfort dish. And this insane tasty dinner was in our bellies within 1 hour. Including prep. The trick is don’t stir, it. Don’t lid it. Just get the heat right. A nice slow and slow simmer. I unpacked and packed the dishwasher, had a wine and watched MasterChef and it was done.
Our little area is famous for it prawns so I made I made chorizo and prawn. You can go to town on your proteins - mussels, squid, fish, chook…
“Risotto is like a new born baby - attached to your nips, entirely dependent on you. Paella is like a teenager - leave it be and it’ll like you more. The hardest part is only the urge not to stir it.”
Weekday Paella
Gluten free.
Feeds 4. Family friendly - just use less hot sauce.
Can use fish, chicken, mussels, squid etc.
INGREDIENTS
1 onion, diced
5 garlic cloves, diced
1 red capsicum, diced
1 tsp paprika
2 tbsp olive oil
1.5 cups of aborio rice (risotto rice)
4 cups of stock (any you got!)
2 tomatoes
1/2 cup peas
half a lemon, cut into slices
2 x chorizo, cut into disks
15 x prawns, cleaned and de-shelled (I left tails on)
A few sprigs of thyme or marjoram (not essential but nice and fragrant)
Parsley for scattering on the top
METHOD
In your paella pan or skillet on high heat, heat your oil, and fry off your chorizo until golden. Remove chorizo and put to the side.
Fry off your onions, capsicum and garlic until softened, add in your rice and stir. Make sure all rice is nicely coated in the oil.
Add in your stock, chorizo back in, thyme or marjoram (if using), tomato, paprika, a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir.
Turn heat right down to low, and leave it on a gentle simmer for approx 10 minutes. NO STIRRING. (If your heat is too high the rice will burn so it’s better to stay on the side of caution and keep it low and slow and cook it a little longer.)
When rice starts poking its head through the stock but there’s still lots of liquid its time to add your prawns, lemon and peas. Scatter peas, push prawns into the rice so they are partly submerged in the stock. I like to season the prawns with a little salt but you don’t have to. Add your Bintango Hot Sauce to taste. Pop in your lemon slices.
Turn the prawns after about 5 mins (or you can see them pink up on the bottom side) and cook for another 5 or so mins. The liquid should be absorbed with a a little liquid remaining.
Taste - the rice should be tender. If you want it softer add a splash of stock or hot water and keep cooking on low until its where you want it.
Serve up! Scatter fresh parsley on top and serve with crusty bread with lotsa butter, lemon wedges and Bintango Hot Sauce
