Recipes continued
Spanish Paella Serves 6-8
2 small raw blue swimmer crabs
8 large green prawns
8 small black mussels
3½ cups fish/chicken stock
1 teaspoon saffron threads
180g chorizo sausage, sliced
200g chicken thighs, halved
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped finely
1 clove garlic, crushed
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 x 400g canned tomatoes
1½ cups Arborio or Spanish rice
300g whole pipis, purged
½ cup frozen peas
1 small roasted red capsicum, sliced
1. Remove flap from the undersides of crabs
then flip crab over. Place your thumb
under the shell between the two back
legs and slowly pull the shell away from
the body. Discard. Remove the feather
like gills and front feelers and discard.
Carefully rinse the crab if needed – do
not put under running water. Using a
sharp knife cut the body in half. Then
cut between the smaller legs to make 4
pieces. Crack the large nippers with crab
crackers; this will help the heat get into
the shell.
2. Peel 4 of the prawns and devein. Leave
the other 4 whole for presentation. Clean
and de-beard mussels.
3. Place stock and saffron in a saucepan
and heat gently to infuse. Cover and keep
warm.
4. Heat the frypan on setting 8. Cook chorizo
in pan until golden; drain on paper
towelling.
5. In same pan cook the chicken thighs
and whole prawns in chorizo oil until just
cooked through; set aside.
6. Reduce heat to setting 6. Add extra virgin
olive oil, if needed, and cook onions and
garlic until the onions are translucent; add
paprika and cook for a further 30 seconds.
7. Add tomatoes and cook on setting 6 for
2-3 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring
until well coated. Add stock and stir to
combine. Reduce heat to setting 3 and
cook, covered for 10 minutes.
8. After 10 minutes check rice, add a little
water if the rice looks too dry. Cook,
covered, for a further 5 minutes if the rice
is still quite hard.
9. Arrange raw seafood, chicken, chorizo,
whole prawns, peas, roasted capsicum,
over rice and cook, covered for a further 5
minutes or until the seafood is cooked and
the rice is tender. Turn heat off and keep
covered for 5 minutes before serving.
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