Spanish-style paella
Description
Like any other Mediterranean cuisine, Spanish cooking is based on seafood. Traditionally, paella is made with rice, mussels, and squid. In addition, fresh vegetables are an important ingredient. To make the paella juicy and flavorful, try to use ripe tomatoes instead of just tomato paste (although you can prepare a simplified version). For authentic Spanish paella, fresh mussels and squid are sufficient in terms of seafood. To make the dish more filling, add meat—chicken and beef work perfectly in paella.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
So, prepare all the ingredients for cooking. Finely chop the garlic and onion. Blanch the tomatoes with boiling water to remove the skin, then cut them into cubes. Slice the pepper into strips. Rinse the chicken and beef, then cut them into cubes as well. Wash the mussels and dry them. Cut the squid into rings (this is unnecessary if you've already purchased them pre-cut).
- 2
Step 2
Wash the carrots and cut them into cubes. Chop the celery.
- 3
Step 3
Heat the oil in a pan. Sauté the meat and seafood separately for 4–7 minutes. Set aside. It's better if the ingredients remain warm.
- 4
Step 4
Now simmer the onion and garlic, then add the tomatoes, celery, carrots, peppers, and spices. For example, you can add saffron and paprika.
- 5
Step 5
Rinse the rice and add it to the vegetables. Now pour in broth or water, and simmer for about 25–30 minutes over low heat. The key secret of paella is that the rice is cooked right in the pan, not in the usual way.
- 6
Step 6
Now place the seafood and meat on top (you can add a little white wine). Cover the pan with foil and bake for about 15 minutes in the oven at 200°C. Although, if you simply finish cooking the dish on the stovetop, nothing will change)
- 7
Step 7
Serve Spanish-style paella hot, sprinkled with lemon juice for flavor. It also pairs excellently with red wine.