Happy Valentine’s Day

I felt like eating paella, and since it is Valentine’s Day, I made paella and cake for my weekend away with friends. Each of us brought a main dish and dessert along with snacks, coffee, tea, bread, and butter. I do have the paella pan, but it will take up space in the car. I cooked the paella using my cast-iron pan.

Google: “Paella (/paɪˈɛlə/, /pɑːˈeɪjə/, py-EL-ə, pah-AY-yə, Valencian: [paˈeʎa]; Spanish: [paˈeʝa]) is a rice dish originally from the Valencian Community. Paella is regarded as one of the community’s identifying symbols. It is one of the best-known dishes in Spanish cuisine. The dish takes its name from the wide, shallow traditional pan used to cook the dish on an open fire, paella being the word for a frying pan in Valencian/Catalan language. As a dish, it may have ancient roots, but in its modern form, it is traced back to the mid-19th century, in the rural area around the Albufera lagoon adjacent to the city of Valencia, on the Mediterranean coast of Spain.”

“In Australia, including Melbourne, Calrose rice is considered a good option for making paella due to its medium grain size, ability to absorb liquid well, and readily available nature, making it a suitable substitute for the traditional Spanish paella rice “Bomba” when not readily accessible; however, if you can find “Bomba” rice, that would be considered the best choice for authentic paella. 

Glad that I can shared it with 6 of my friends. They all love it and said it’s so delicious, something new for them and full of flavour. Everyone had their shares and asks if they can takeaway. I said sure you can. Let’s cook!!!

Ingredients

600 g Arroz Bomba Spanish Paella Rice or medium grain
20 tiger prawns
1 Tbs minced garlic
2 carrots
2 chorizo
4 Tbs oil
2 Tsp sweet or smoked paprika
1/2 huge red capsicum
400 g can chopped tomato
7 1/2 c mushroom stock
1/2 c Sauvignon Blanc or any white wine (See Note)
2 large pinches of saffron
1 Tsp chicken cube
1 small bulb fennel or 1/4 big bulb fennel
salt
black pepper

Method

Peel prawns head away, wash the prawns, then using a toothpick prick under the vein in the second joint from tails and then pull it (to make a hole) then vein will be exposed and next you just pull it right out. Just a quick wash all the prawns. Next peel the the shells leaving the tails. Bring water to simmer and add salt-you can salt the water heavily. Arrange the prawns in a dish and place inside the steamer over wok or saucepan. Cover and steam for 6-8 minutes, depending on the recipe and the size of the prawns (3-10 minutes); until prawns turn slightly orange; to prevent rubbery prawns, don’t over steam them. Remove and set aside.

Gently heat 1/2 c mushroom stock and infuse with the saffron. Roughly chopped carrots and chorizo. Put oil into a cast iron pan with lid or paella pan on a medium heat, add minced garlic, carrot, chorizo, and paprika, and cook for around 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Deseed and chop the capsicum, then add to the pan for a further 5 minutes.

Stir through chopped tomato and chicken cube, then add the rice and stir for a couple of minutes so it starts to suck up all that lovely flavour. Pour saffron infused stock, 7 c of stock and 1/2 c Sauvignon Blanc and add a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Pop the lid on and bring to the boil for 5 minutes; stir every 1 and a half minute then remove lid and reduce heat to low to a simmer for 15 minutes, stirring regularly during the 15 minutes from the outside in and from the inside out, prevent from over browning and or burn and adding a splash of water or stock if needed.

Now add in prawns, and cook for a further 5 minutes, or until hot through. Season to perfection, then scatter some fennel fonds. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over. Enjoy with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc or any white wine!!!

Note: You can omit Sauvignon Blanc use all mushroom stock or chicken stock. You can add chicken, calamari, squids, mussels. You can omit stock just use water and 1 chicken cube. You can add 1 onion, 1 Tbs tomato paste, 100 g peas or any vegetables you like instead of fennel. Sauvignon Blanc is usually made as a dry, still white wine.

https://helenscchin.com/2025/02/14/prawns-chorizo-and-vegetables-paella/

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