Spanish Paella

This is something that I've made back in May. I've always intended to blog this, but just never got down to it. I'm glad that I've got the chance to put it up now.

The first time I've tasted paella was at my friend's birthday @ La Tasca back in 2004. I still remember sharing 2 different types of paella with a group of friends and they're really good. Most memorable was their sangria....very nice!

Paella......means 'frying pan' in Spanish. It is usually cook in a shallow, flat pan. The most common ingredients are obviously paella rice, saffron and olive oil. I found this recipe from the internet a long time ago but I can't recall the source.

Spanish Seafood Paella
Ingredients:
4 tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 cups Arborio / paella rice
225g cod, cut into chunks
3 squid, cut into rings
100g king prawns with tail intact
1 onion, chopped finely
3 garlic cloves, chopped finely
1 red pepper
4 tomatoes, skinned & chopped
75g frozen peas
450ml fish stock
150ml white wine
saffron strands, soaked in 2 tbsp hot water
salt and black pepper

Methods:
1. Heat half the oil in a frying pan. Stir fry the cod and squid and remove from the pan.
2. Heat the remaining oil in the pan. Fry the onion, garlic and red peppers until softened.
3. Stir in the tomatoes, then add in the rice and stir to coat well. Cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add in the stock and wine. Then add in the peas, saffron and water. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Gently stir in the cod, squid and prawns into the rice. Cover with a lid and cook over gentle heat until the stock is absorbed.