FOODIE FRIDAY: PATRICIA’S PAELLA!

TGIF Guys!

Hope you’ve had a lovely week so far and remember, Christmas is only approx 40 days away — if I’ve done the math correctly! A lot of you have asked for my Paella secret recipe. I don’t divulge it to just anyone! No, only my Boomerbabe Buddies!! I have been using this recipe for years. Even before I came to Canada, and it’s from an old Irish recipe book. I use only the best of seafood and fish. It does make a difference! Because I don’t eat meat, I eliminate the bacon. But, to be really honest — it does taste better with the bacon! To make up for the salty flavour of the bacon, I use smoked fish in my recipe! It works too. So you have both options to choose from. If you are a Vegan, you can eliminate the fish, meat, and substitute with tofu! Love is the secret ingredient – no matter what protein you choose to use! Some people like to put cubed chicken and sausage meat in their Paella! It’s a great sharing dish for parties!

PATRICIA’S PERFECT PAELLA (even if I say so myself lol!!)

Ingredients:

2 lbs./900 g filleted and skinned white fish (cod, haddock, monktail) cut in cubes. I use smoked fish as I don’t eat meat, and eliminate the bacon. (bacon is good in it though!)

8 ozs/225 g cooked mussel meat.

8 ozs /225 g cooked shelled prawns.

A little olive oil for frying.

6 large streaky rashers of bacon – chopped.

I large onion chopped.

I clove garlic crushed or chopped.

I green pepper chopped.

1 red pepper chopped.

4 tomatoes chopped.

1 1/2 pints. of fish stock or chicken stock cube – dissolved in 1 1/2 /800 ml. hot water.

12 ozs. /350 g. long grained white rice.

3 ozs. / 75 g. frozen peas.

Salt/ and ground black pepper.

1 tbsp. turmeric.

TO GARNISH: 

Cayenne pepper, chopped parsley, cooked prawns and mussels in shell around the top as in photo. Some people add small candles and edible flowers! The sky is the limit with Paella! And no, you don’t eat the candles – only for the visual presentation!

METHOD:

1.   Saute bacon, onion, garlic, peppers and tomatoes in oil. Add rice and season.
2.   Add stock, peas and mix. Cover and cook slowly for 15-20 mins. until rice is soft.
3.   Add turmeric either to the stock or the pan to give it the lovely saffron colour.
4.   Add the cubed fish and cook for 5 mins. Add prawns and mussels and re-heat.
5.   Keep an eye on your Paella as it may need extra water, or may be sticking to base!

Serve on a Paella dish and sprinkle with chopped parsley and cayenne pepper. Garnish with the whole prawns and mussels on top. If you don’t have a Paella dish, you can use a wok. I usually cook mine in a wok and serve it up on the Paella dish. You can also serve it up in your wok too!

P.S. I prefer to pre-cook my fish and seafood and then add it to the pan (plus all the garlic cooking juices). That’s just me as I hate the thought of raw fish or seafood! To add incredible flavour I fry everything in butter with garlic! So fricking yummy! The salted fish produces juice. After a few mins. when the mussels are well opened, I add them to the pan at the end. First I mix in the fish and seafood with the rice and veggies. I also put clams in my Paella. Try it and improvise to suit your appetite! You have to baby your Paella! Don’t leave it to its own devices. It’s important to cook is slowly as if it cooks too quickly the rice is still hard and the juice dries up. Nice and easy does the trick! If you’re a tasty cook, you’ll know what I mean!

Bon Appetit!

Patricia xxx