Eivissa’s Seafood Paella
Inroduction
About this Recipe
by Sheridan Rogers
This recipe is from Anne Sijmonsbergen’s wonderful Eivissa: The Ibiza Cookbook in which she shows how Ibiza is on the cusp of a food revolution, attracting chefs and foodies from all over the world who increasingly base their menus around the island’s food cycle, showcasing local, seasonal, sustainable ingreidents.
“Our tenure at Can Riero, our organic farm on Ibiza, has coincided with this revolution, leading me on a farming, fishing and foraging odyssey to discover the variety of local food on the island. It has introduced me to a host of producers and chefs, native and extranjeros (foreigners), who are writing the next chapter of the island’s culinary history. Eivissa invites you to explore and recreate the flavours of this Mediterranean isle…
“Many of the recipes in this book are rooted in Ibicenco and Spanish culinary culture and give a glimpse of the island’s ancient customs and modern rural life through the timeless ritual of preparing, sharing and enjoying food.”
Nora chillies are small round red peppers of the “ball” variety, normally dried in the sun and used extensively in paella dishes in Spain.
Ingredients
Chilli Base:
dried nora chillies, 2 deseeded and finely chopped
fish stock, 1 – 1.5 litres
Sofregit:
extra virgin olive oil, 80ml
onion, 1 finely chopped
red capsicum, 1/2 deseeded and finely chopped
green capsicum, 1/2 deseeded and finely chopped
garlic cloves, 6 finely chopped
large roasted tomatoes, 3 chopped
sweet paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons
hot paprika, 1 teaspoon
saffron threads, large pinch
squid, 6 small or 1 large, cleaned, membrane removed, body sliced into 3cm rings, tentacles left whole
paella rice, 500g
white wine, 300ml
prawns, 18 shell-on
mussels, 18, scrubbed and debearded
fresh clams, 18, scrubbed (soak wild in cold water with salt)
whole cooked lobster, 1, split in half lengthways (optional)
Lemon wedges, to serve
Aioli, to serve
Salt and black pepper
For the Chilli Base: soak the chillies in a heatproof bowl with 80ml-100ml of hot fish stock for 30 minutes, then drain, retaining the liquid. Grind the chillies to a paste with a mortar and pestle. Strain the soaking liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a heatproof measuring jug. Add the chilli paste to the jug, whizz with a hand-held blender until smooth, set aside.
To make the sofregit, heat the olive oil in the paella pan or frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, peppers, garlic and tomatoes and fry for about 20 minutes until soft but not brown. Add the sweet paprika, hot paprika and a large pinch of salt and cook for 8- 10 minutes, uncovered, until the mixture has reduced to a thick sauce.
Bring the remaining stock to the boil in a separate saucepan, reduce the heat and add the saffron. Add squid to the pan, turn to coat in the sauce and cook 2-3 inutes, then remove and set aside.
Add the rice to the pan and stir it to coat the grains in the sauce. Fry for 3 -4 minutes to lightly toast the rice then pour in the white wine. Cook 3-4 minutes to allow the wine to reduce slightly, then pour enough simmering stock into the pan to just cover the rice. Return the squid to the pan, evenly distributing it and nestling into the rice, then cook over a low heat for 10-15 minutes, uncovered, gently stirring in more stock as needed. Taste it to check the texture of the rice and add liquid to reach the desired consistency.
Place the prawns, mussels and clams evenly on top and cook for a further 10 minutes, uncovered, then mix the lobster pieces (if using) into the rice. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to rest for 10 minutes. If you’re not using lobster, remove the pan from the heat after the prawns, mussels and clams have cooked for 10 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges and aioli.