Homemade Paella Seafood And Sausage

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Paella seafood and merguez is the perfect dish to make as an alternative to the classic barbecue. The process is simple, it makes a copious meal and presents well.

Origins of this recipe

Paella is a rice dish originated from Valencia, it is cooked on an open fire, seasoned with saffron and can have various type of meats, seafood or vegetables.

Let’s be clear, even if I bought my paella pan in Valencia, I don’t claim this to be the authentic Spanish Paella recipe.

I am sure the purists will have some comments to make, but this is a tested and proven delicious recipe we have made plenty of times and all our guests have enjoyed and loved.

My husband’s favourite dish is seafood risotto, but risotto is not convenient to make when you have guests as it requires your full attention stirring for at least 20 minutes.

While the Paella does not require any stirring and once the ingredients are ready, the process of cooking the paella is relatively easy.

Actually, I found it easier than the classic meat, fish or vegetable barbecue as everything is cooked at once in 20 minutes and you are done.

Because we like it so much we have made Paella seafood and merguez several times until we have perfected our recipe.

Top tips

There are a few important factors that make this paella superb and here they are:

1. Outstanding ingredients: ingredients are the base for any successful dish, and when it comes to seafood I am very picky. I grew up by the sea and I am used to eating fresh seafood that tastes like the sea. I carefully choose where to buy my fish and even if frozen I always look for quality.

2. The quality of the rice is also very important and I always use Carnaroli Rice from Riso Gallo (this is not an affiliate link and the post is not sponsored) one of the oldest Italian rice-growers.

3. The fire: the Paella should be cooked on a gas fire, and unfortunately we an electric stove (which is easier to clean though, so not complaining too much).

So we experimented with my husband to cook Paella seafood on the barbecue and the results were outstanding. The intense heat cooks the rice to perfection creating that crunchy crust around the edge. For me, the crunchier the better.

4. Homemade chicken stock: For the saffron stock, I use my homemade chicken stock mixed with the water from the mussels and some fish stock if I have it in my freezer.

The homemade chicken stock is full of gelatine from the chicken bones which adds creaminess to the rice.  I adjust for salt and add 2 packages of saffron.

The Controversial Ingredients

I don’t claim to be an expert on Spanish cuisine and some might find the merguez (usually chorizo) and the saffron stock not appropriate to the original recipe, but they work for us and they do add flavour to the dish.

We use merguez, a spicy sausage made of lamb, as it complements well with the sweetness of the seafood.

You can also use the classic Spanish chorizo or ‘Nduja.

Making Paella Step by Step

Preparing the ingredients

1. Before you get started, prepare all the ingredients, the shrimps, the squid rings, cut the merguez into bite sizes.
2. Stir fry the mussels separately with some garlic and filter the water as there is always some residual sand.
3. Add the water from the mussels to the chicken stock as well as the saffron and the cube stock. Keep warm. Dice the pepper and the onion

Flavour the rice

1. Set up the fire, either on the barbecue or gas fire
2. Pour some olive oil into the pan and start by cooking the shrimps. Once they are cooked remove them from the pan.
3. Stir fry the squids and remove them once they are cooked.
4. Stir fry the merguez until they are brown
5. Add the rice and mix so that it absorbs all the juices left from the previous ingredients
6. Add the peas, the onion and the pepper and pour in the saffron stock

Cooking

1. Settled the rice but do not stir and cook for 15 minutes. Add more stock if needed
2. After 15 minutes add the squid and stir
3. After few minutes add the shrimps
4. and the mussels
5. Remove from the fire and cover with aluminium foil until serving
6. Decorate with parsley and arrange the lemons quarter all around the pan

Feel free to substitute any ingredients you might like, as long as you follow my 3 rules I am sure you are going to make a fantastic paella. Buy the Best ingredients, cook it on a barbeque fire and use homemade chicken stock.

Prepare all the ingredients, set the fire, serve a glass of wine with some appetizers and enjoy preparing the Paella with your friends. I am sure they will be delighted to learn how you are making it.

What to serve with it

Paella is a complete meal so you don’t really need t serve anything else with it.

If you have guests over you can prepare some appetizers you can eat while the paella is cooking. I like to have fingers food like Deep fried eggplant balls, Sicilian caponata on bruschetta or fried zucchini flowers.

For dessert a fruity tart like Peach Tarte Tatin or a Lime sorbet with vodka. To close a lavish meal alway serve a homemade liquor Limoncello, Nocino or Curacao.

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Homemade Paella Seafood And Sausage

Paella seafood and merguez is the perfect dish to make as an alternative to the classic barbecue. #yourguardianchef #barbecue #paella

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

minutes 5 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings: 6 people

Print Pin Rate

Author: Laura Tobin

Ingredients

• 8 jumbo shrimps uncooked in the shell
• 10 oz squid rings
• 9 oz mussels
• 12 oz mergueze
• 2 lb Carnaroli rice
• 1 onion
• 1 red peppers
• 9 oz peas
• 6 cup homemade chicken stock check my homemade
• 2 package saffron
• 1 cube homemade stock
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley
• 1 non treated lemon
• salt & pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil

US Customary - Metric

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Instructions

• Before you get started, prepare all the ingredients, the shrimps, the squid rings, cut the merguez into bite sizes. 
• Stir fry the mussels separately with some garlic and filter the water as there is always some residual sand. 
• Add the water from the mussels to the chicken stock as well as the saffron and the cube stock. Keep warm 
• Dice the pepper and the onion
• Set up the fire, either on the barbecue or gas fire
• Pour some olive oil into the pan and start by cooking the shrimps. Once they are cooked remove them from the pan.
• Stir fry the squids and remove them once they are cooked.
• Stir fry the merguez until they are brown
• Add the rice and mix so that it absorbs all the juices left from the previous ingredients
• Add the peas
• Add the onion and the pepper and pour in the saffron stock
• Settled the rice but do not stir and cook for 15 minutes. Add more stock if needed
• After 15 minutes add the squid and stir
• After few minutes add the shrimps
• and the mussels 
• Remove from the fire and cover with aluminium foil until serving
• Decorate with parsley and arrange the lemons quarter all around the pan

Video

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Notes

There are few important factors that make this paella superb and here they are:

• Outstanding Paella ingredients: Ingredients are the base for any successful dish
• The quality of the rice is also very important and I always use Carnaroli Rice from Riso Gallo (this is not an affiliate link and the post is not sponsored) one of the oldest Italian rice-growers.
• Cook the Paella on the barbecue and the results will be outstanding.
• Use homemade chicken stock, it is full of gelatine from the chicken bones which adds creaminess to the rice. 

Nutrition

Calories: 976kcal | Carbohydrates: 142g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 184mg | Sodium: 861mg | Potassium: 955mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1090IU | Vitamin C: 59.5mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 4.6mg

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