Paella as prepared by Chef Stuart Cameron of the Toronto restaurant Patria, traditional Spanish cuisine.
Pair with Campo Viejo Reserva. $17.95 LCBO #137810
Serves 4
-1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
-3 x bay leaves
-125 ml white wine
-6 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
-6 mussels
-2 large langoustine cut in half (if unavailable double the shrimp)
-3 x 2 oz. piece squared monk fish
-2 x small cuttle fish cut into 6 pieces (fresh squid would also be a great substitute)
-Kosher salt and freshly ground Pepper
-230 g bomba rice
-4 tbls. Sofrito (see recipe below)
–1 tsp. smoked paprika
-1 large garlic clove, sliced finely
-2 small pinch of saffron, crumbled
-4 pieces of blanched snap peas ripped in half
–850 ml fish stock
In a large, deep skillet or 30 inch Paella pan heat the oil until shimmering. Season the shrimp and monkfish with salt and pepper and add to the skillet. Cook over high heat until lightly browned on both sides, 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Quickly sear the seasoned cuttlefish and langoustine till 30 percent cooked set aside until needed.
Add Garlic to the paella pan and cook until soft, add sofrito (see recipe below) and bay leaves and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the rice to the paella pan and cook, stirring, until opaque, about 2 minutes. Add paprika, saffron and stir constantly until the rice is toasted and sizzling without color (about 1 minute). Add the white wine to deglaze, then the fish stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the mussels for 1 – 2 minutes to open them, then reserve with remaining seafood
Lower the heat and simmer until the rice is nearly tender and the liquid is soupy but slightly reduced, about 14 minutes. Lay out cuttle fish, shrimp, mussels, langoustine and monkfish cooked side up to finish cooking.
Turn up the heat to med high to cook though the seafood and to form a “Socarrat”, a caramelized crust on the bottom of the paella pan. Turn off the heat and scatter with snap Peas, chopped parsley and let rest for 5 minutes.
Sofrito – Spanish for ‘softly fry’ is an essential step to this authentic Paella
-50ml olive oil
-1 white onion finely diced
-1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
-2 bay leaves
-2 large red peppers, seeded and finely diced
-2 ripe tomatoes peeled, seeded and diced
Heat the oil in a large heavy based saucepan over low heat. Add the onion, garlic and bay leaves with a large pinch of salt to draw out the moisture and intensify the flavor. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add the red pepper and cook for 30 minutes further, stirring occasionally until well softened. Add the tomato and continue to cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until rich and jam like, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick to the base of the pan. Sofrito will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.
