Spanish Paella
I have eaten several times at a restaurant in Madrid called Ursulas. Every time I have ordered Seafood Paella and it is divine. This is an attempt to duplicate what I had there. I'm sure it will be dependant on fresh seafood availability. The ideas were gathered from passengers on the plane trip back. This recipe was copied from a cookbook on the plane and additional comments from a male passenger probably from Iran. He had good ideas.
I have eaten several times at a restaurant in Madrid called Ursulas. Every time I have ordered Seafood Paella and it is divine. This is an attempt to duplicate what I had there. I'm sure it will be dependant on fresh seafood availability. The ideas were gathered from passengers on the plane trip back. This recipe was copied from a cookbook on the plane and additional comments from a male passenger probably from Iran. He had good ideas.
- salt
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 onion diced
- 1 cup peas frozen
- 2 cups rice arboreo (or mahatma)
- 1 pound prawns
- 1 each green bell pepper
- 1/2 pound lean pork diced
- 10 each chicken wings
- 1 large tomato blanched, peeled and chopped
- drops lemon juice
- saffron
- 4 cups prawn stock
- roasted red peppers for decoration
- Carbohydrate 59.2423528981631 g
- Cholesterol 203.496968033333 mg
- Fat 65.1242076128066 g
- Fiber 4.02891664595338 g
- Protein 38.7799306127167 g
- Saturated Fat 16.26290065004 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (379g)
- Sodium 371.731906980201 mg
- Sugar 55.2134362522097 g
- Trans Fat 3.70159885587286 g
- Calories 987 calories
Step-by-step
- You will need a large paella pan. (Not sure what large is but probably 15".) Make stock from prawn head and tail. Set aside and strain before using.
- Fry prawns until pink and set aside. Cook chicken wings or diced chicken and set aside.
- Saute pork, salt and pepper in olive oil. Add bell pepper and onion to oil and saute together (sofrito). Add tomato as well.
- Add rice to meat, stirring for about 5 minutes. Add saffron (and Spanish colorant if available).
- Pour prawn stock and lemon juice, adding more if necessary. Bring to a boil and add saffron and peas.Bake at 180 degrees for 20 minutes. (Lady passenger said it would probably be more like 30-45 minutes.
- Turn off heat. Garnish with cooked chicken, shrimp and roasted peppers. (The cookbook mentioned sliced hard-boiled eggs...not appealing to me.)
- Turn off heat. Garnish with roasted red peppers and cooked shrimp and chicken.
A fifteen-inch pan presents a strict geometric constraint for moisture evaporation. Surface area dictates how the broth reduces and how the starches hydrate. Using a vessel outside this diameter alters the liquid ratio, requiring adjustments to the four cups of stock.
Prawn heads and tails yield the fundamental broth. Simmering these triturated shells extracts the crustacean compounds necessary for depth. Straining the liquid before introduction eliminates grit. Sautéing the pork, diced onion, and bell pepper establishes the base flavor layer, known as the sofrito. Stirring the rice grains in this oil for five minutes toasts the outer starch coating, preventing rapid disintegration during the liquid phase.
Baking occurs at 180 degrees Celsius for twenty to forty-five minutes, depending on moisture levels and oven calibration. Prawns require minimal heat to turn pink; overcooking renders them rubbery. Saffron imparts both a distinct metallic aroma and a yellow hue. Leftover portions store safely in an airtight container for up to forty-eight hours, though reheating requires added water to rehydrate the grains without burning the base layer.
