Lilia´s Seafood Paella

Lilia´s Paella de Marisco

This recipe is part of a family book of recipes
´Les Receptes de la Lilia´.
Dedicated to our Agnès Lilia, whom never met her great grandmother, Lilia,
but will one day keep her cooking alive.

(Please note that the ingredient list is as Lilia described it.
A handful here, a dash there, so go with the flow and it should turn out just fine)!

Ingredients:

• 4 handfuls of rice (arroz de bomba)
• Fish stock (3 ladles per person) 
• Selection of seafood: fresh prawns (gambas), muscles (musclos), clams (cloisses), cuttlefish (sepia) (2 large cut into small squares) and white fish (cut into large cubes).
• Vegetables: long green capsicum (finely chopped), ½ red capsicum (finely chopped), 1 onion (finely sliced)
• Tomato puree or 3 large mature tomatoes
• Garlic (few cloves) and a small bunch of parsley with a dash of olive oil mixed into a paste.
• A shot glass of white wine or cognac.
• Bomba paella rice (1 cup per person).
• Salt & Pepper.

 

Method:

1. Heat a large paella pan with 3 tablespoons of oil on medium heat.
2. Add the cuttlefish with a little salt and pepper.
3. Add the onion.
4. Add both green and red capsicums.
5. Stir until colour starts to change.
6. Place the prawns in the paella dish for 1 minute and turn for 1 more minute.
7. Remove the prawns only and place to the side for later.
8. Stir the paella pan only occasionally.
9. Add white fish to the paella pan and leave for 1 minute
10. Add the tomato puree or chopped tomatoes to the paella pan
11. In another saucepan pour in the fish stock and simmer on low
12. In another saucepan place the muscles on low heat (with glass lid on)
13. Once muscles have cooked use a little of the water from the muscles and add to the paella pan. Leave the muscles to the side in the saucepan.
14. Sprinkle 1 tsp of raw sugar over the paella pan
15. Add a shot glass of white wine or coñac to the paella pan
16. Pour the fish stock into the paella pan and bring to a simmer.
17. Sprinkle the bomba rice over the paella pan evenly.
18. Cover the paella pan with aluminium foil.
19. On high heat (200 degrees) bake the dish for 10 minutes. 
20. Remove the aluminium foil and place the prawns, muscles and clams strategically around the dish.
21. Cover again with aluminium foil for another 3-4 minutes.
22. Remove the paella pan entirely from the cook top and let stand. The rice should have absorbed the fish stock and be fluffy. Be careful to not burn the rice on the bottom. However in Catalunya the word ´socarrat´ refers to the rice that gets crunchy and forms a crust at the bottom of the pan. Which is the best part of the paella!!

Serve hot with lemon wedges and a glass of white wine on a warm summer´s day! Sit and enjoy and love life.

Lauren & Helios x