Paella with seafood and chorizo
8 servings
105 minutes
Seafood and chorizo paella is a bright, rich, and aromatic dish that blends the rich flavors of the sea and land. Although paella is traditionally considered a Spanish dish, this Italian-inspired version has a special charm. Tender monkfish meat, juicy shrimp, and squid harmonize with spicy chorizo and the sweetness of bell peppers. Saffron gives the rice a golden color and a slight bitterness, while parsley refreshes and adds green notes. This dish is perfect for cozy family dinners or festive gatherings when you want to impress guests with a wealth of flavors and aromas. Paella is traditionally served with lemon, which enhances the freshness of the seafood and makes each bite even more appetizing.
1
Remove the gray film from the fish tail if present. With a sharp knife, cut along the spine, separate two fillets, cut into large pieces, and set aside. Keep the backbone.
- Monkfish tail: 250 g
2
Clean the shrimp and save the heads and shells. Set the shrimp aside.
- Shrimps: 250 g
3
Place the fish backbone and shrimp shells in a pot, fill it with water, add a pinch of salt, and simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes.
- Salt: to taste
4
During this time, chop the onion. Peel the tomatoes and chop them. Remove the seeds from the green pepper and cut it into 2.5 cm squares, while the red one should be peeled and cut into strips. Cut the squid into strips or rings. Slice the garlic. Remove the skin from the sausage and also slice it.
- Onion: 1 piece
- Tomatoes: 2 pieces
- Green pepper: 1 piece
- Squid: 1 piece
- Garlic: 1 clove
- Chorizo: 0.5 piece
5
Heat half of the olive oil in a pan, add the onion, and cook on low heat, stirring, for 5 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the tomato and cook, stirring and mashing the tomato with a spatula, for another 5 minutes. Let it cool slightly, then blend to make a puree. Transfer the puree to a large, wide, thick-walled, and thick-bottomed fireproof pot.
- Olive oil: 200 ml
- Onion: 1 piece
- Tomatoes: 2 pieces
6
Rinse the shells under cold water (if using mussels, clean them of their 'beards'). Remove any shells with damaged hinges and those that do not close when touched. Place the mollusks in a pot, add 150 ml of water, and bring to a boil. Cover and cook on high heat for 3-6 minutes until the shells open. Remove the pot from heat and scoop out the shells with a slotted spoon, reserving the cooking liquid. Discard any unopened shells. Break off the empty parts of the shells, leaving the mollusks in the halves. Set aside.
- Mussels: 500 g
- Salt: to taste
7
Pour the liquid in which the shells were cooked through a sieve into a measuring jug. Also pour the fish broth in there. Add water to make it 1.75 liters. Pour the broth into a pot and heat slowly, but do not let it boil.
8
Pour the remaining olive oil into a large pot with tomato puree. Add the green pepper and cook on low heat, stirring, for 3-4 minutes. Add the squid, pieces of fish, rice, and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Season with salt and add hot broth.
- Olive oil: 200 ml
- Green pepper: 1 piece
- Squid: 1 piece
- Monkfish tail: 250 g
- Salt: to taste
9
Crush parsley, saffron, and garlic in a mortar with a little salt, add 2 tablespoons of broth, mix, and send it to the pot with the paella. Also, mix in the shrimp.
- Parsley: 1 stem
- Saffron: 0.3 teaspoon
- Garlic: 1 clove
- Shrimps: 250 g
10
When half of the broth is absorbed, add strips of red pepper, mussels, peas, and chorizo to the same pot. Continue cooking until the rice is soft and all the rice is absorbed. (On average, this takes about 20 minutes from the moment you poured hot broth into the paella).
- Red chilli pepper: 1 piece
- Mussels: 500 g
- Canned green peas: 100 g
- Chorizo: 0.5 piece
11
Spread a damp towel on the work table. Place a pot of paella on it. Leave for 5 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges that should be hooked on the edge of the pot.
- Lemon: to taste