Paella de Luis

La famosa paella de Luis! (Chef Luis in the centre)
La famosa paella de Luis! (Chef Luis in the centre)

There are all sorts of different recipes for paella – each version differs slightly. Luis uses his Mum’s recipe for a mixed paella – totally traditional and very tasty indeed, the secret being that all the ingredients should be fresh and carefully chosen. And the other secret is time and patience – allow two and a half hours for preparation (including making the stock) and cooking of the paella and never leave it alone! Have fun!

 

Ingredients

For the stock: 1 onion | 1 carrot | 1 leek | 3 cloves garlic | 1 bayleaf | parsley |salt and black pepper |chicken carcass or bones | a bit of fish/prawns, one or two mussels and clams | 1 litre water

For the  sofrito:    1 carrot | 1 onion | 2 cloves garlic| 1 small green pepper | 1 small red pepper | half stick celery (all chopped) | Olive oil | 1 tomato (peeled and chopped) | salt and black pepper & a few threads of saffron | 1 glass white wine | 1 teaspoon pimenton dulce (paprika)

Main ingredients:

  • half a chicken or rabbit (cut up in small pieces)
  • prawns | monk fish | conger eel | squid | clams |mussels (However much you like of these, but all should be fresh)
  • frozen peas
  • rice (ratio 1 cup rice to 2 cups stock, 2 cups rice make a good paella for 6)

1 red pepper (roasted) for garnish

Method

  1. Make the stock. Put all the ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 1 and a half hours.
  2. Roast red pepper in oven. Once roasted put in a plastic bag to remove the skin more easily. Leave in a plastic bag until cool. This pepper is used to garnish the paella. Cut into strips.
  3. Make the sofrito. Put 2tbsp olive oil into the paella pan. Saute the chicken or rabbit in this till golden brown. Drain and leave on a plate. Then add the chopped veg from the sofrito ingredients to the same oil until they are half done. Add the tomato and saffron and seasoning. Cook until soft.
  4. When this is done, add the sauteed chicken or rabbit, the fish and the squid, a glass of white wine and the pimenton: cook for a few minutes, stirring all the time.
  5. Then add the rice and fry for a couple of minutes. Then add the stock and then the prawns, clams, mussels and peas etc. Cook for 18 minutes (but keep an eye on this- you can add more stock as you go along) N.B. The stock should be very hot when you add this to the rice.
  6. Once the rice is cooked cover the paella pan with a cloth or newspaper (this is the best) for 5 minutes. Then garnish with red roasted pepper. SERVE!

!Buen provecho!

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