Hairy Bikers Seafood Paella

The prawns go into Hairy Bikers seafood paella twice. They are seared at the start, lifted out, then put back at the very end so they never overcook. Everyday Winners serves four at about 460 calories, in an hour.

They write in Everyday Winners that they wanted a straightforward seafood version using shellfish you can buy in any supermarket. That means prawns, squid and mussels, all of which most big shops sell ready prepared.

The rice goes in as a flat, even layer and stays where it lands. Spread it out properly when you add it, because you will not be stirring it again and any thick patches will cook slower than the rest.

Hairy Bikers Seafood Paella

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Simmering Cuisine:British Spanish Courses:Main

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 20 minutesCook time: 35 minutesRest time: 5 minutesTotal time:1 hour Servings:4 servingsCalories:460 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

Three kinds of seafood go in at three different points, so nothing is overcooked. Squid browns with the onion, mussels steam on top under a lid, and the seared prawns return last. Saffron, fennel seeds and hot paprika season this Hairy Bikers seafood paella.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 200g large shelled prawns, deveined
• 300g cleaned squid, sliced into rounds, including the tentacles
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp hot paprika
• zest of 1 lemon
• leaves from a large oregano sprig, chopped
• pinch of saffron, soaked in 2 tbsp water
• 200g fresh tomatoes, puréed
• 900ml fish, chicken or vegetable stock
• 300g paella rice
• 150g roast artichoke hearts from a jar
• 400g mussels, cleaned
• sea salt and black pepper
• chopped parsley and lemon wedges, to serve

Instructions

1. Sear the prawns: Heat the oil in a large sauté pan, or a paella pan if you have one. Add the prawns and sear briefly on both sides until they turn pink, then lift them out and set aside.
2. Brown the squid: Add the squid and onion to the pan and cook until the squid starts to turn golden brown.
3. Add the aromatics: Stir in the garlic, fennel seeds, paprika, lemon zest and oregano and cook for a minute, then pour in the saffron with its soaking water and the puréed tomatoes.
4. Add the stock: Stir until the tomatoes have reduced a little, then pour in the stock and season with salt and pepper.
5. Add the rice: Bring to the boil, then sprinkle in the rice in as even a layer as possible. Arrange the artichoke hearts over the top. Boil for 5 minutes, then turn the heat down and simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes, by which point most of the liquid should have been absorbed.
6. Steam the mussels: Arrange the mussels over the rice and cover the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes until they are fully open, and throw away any that stay shut.
7. Finish off the heat: Take the pan off the heat, add the prawns, cover again and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Serve with parsley and lemon wedges.

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FAQs

Why sear the prawns and take them out?

Because prawns need about two minutes to cook and the paella needs twenty. Searing gives them colour, then they wait on a plate while everything else finishes.

They go back in with the pan off the heat. It is still hot enough to warm them through over five minutes without cooking them again. Their jambalaya does the same, keeping twelve large prawns back until the end.

Can I use different seafood?

Yes. They say they wanted a version using shellfish easily available from the supermarket, so buy whatever looks good on the day.

Just keep the timings. Prawns and scallops cook in two minutes, so add them at the end. Clams go on with the mussels because they need to steam open. Squid goes in early with the onion, since it turns rubbery in the middle range and only softens again after long cooking.

Do I have to stir it?

No, and stirring will spoil it. Rice releases starch when you move it around, and that starch makes the dish creamy instead of loose.

Creamy is right for risotto and wrong for paella. Their smoked haddock risotto uses the same 300g of rice and is stirred constantly for exactly that reason. Same rice, opposite method.

What does the saffron actually do?

Mostly colour. It turns the rice yellow-orange and adds a mild, slightly sweet smell, which is why a pinch is enough.

Soak it in the 2 tablespoons of water first, as the recipe says. Dry saffron dropped straight into the pan gives up very little. Without saffron the paella still tastes right, it just looks paler, and the hot paprika and fennel seeds are doing more of the flavour work anyway.

How is this different from their other paellas?

There are eight paellas across the books and they are all different dishes. This is the seafood one, using 300g of rice for four people.

Their chicken and chorizo paella is bigger and slower, with 400g of rice and 1.5 litres of stock, feeding six in an hour and twenty minutes. There are also two rabbit paellas and a vegetarian artichoke and fennel one.