Seafood Paella

Bring a touch of Spanish sunshine into your home this summer with our seafood paella recipe. Perfect for an alfresco dinner party, served with a chilled glass of white wine!

Ingredients

For the paella

  • 24 raw king prawns, shell on
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 500g monkfish, cut into chunks
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 500g paella rice
  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • Pinch of saffron
  • 200g tinned chopped tomatoes
  • 500g mussels, cleaned
  • 100g frozen peas
  • 100g frozen baby broad beans
  • Handful of parsley leaves, chopped

For the stock

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, roughly chopped
  • 200g tinned chopped tomatoes
  • 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1 chicken stock cube
  • 1 star anise

Method

  1. Start by peeling and de-veining the prawns, reserving the heads and shells, then return the prawns to the fridge.
  2. Make the stock by heating the oil in a large pan over a medium heat, then add in the onion, tomatoes, garlic and reserved prawn heads and shells. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then pour in 2 litres of water along with the stock cube and star anise. Bring everything to a boil, and simmer for 30 minutes.
  3. Leave to cool slightly, then blitz in batches using a blender or food processor, then strain through a sieve.
  4. Now begin making the paella by heating the oil in a large pan. Sear the monkfish for a few minutes on each side, then remove and set to one side. Throw in the onion and fry for 4-5 minutes until softened.
  5. Stir in the rice and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the garlic, paprika, cayenne and saffron and cook for another 30 seconds before stirring in the tomatoes and 1.5L of your stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, frequently stirring, for 10 minutes. 
  6. Return the monkfish to the pan, followed by the prawns, mussels, peas and broad beans. 
  7. Cover the pan and cook on a low heat for another 10-15 minutes until the mussels are open and the prawns are cooked through. Scatter over the parsley before serving.

Lead image: thesomegirl via Getty images.