← Nouns Cooking · Spanish

Ingredients

• 1.1 l hot fish stock
• 4 tbsp Olive oil
• 500 g cleaned squid or cuttlefish, cut into rings or 2 cm pieces
• 8 raw king prawns, shell on
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 1 green pepper, finely chopped
• 3 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• 2 Tomato, grated, skins discarded
• 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika (pimentón dulce)
• 100 ml dry white wine
• 300 g paella rice (bomba or calasparra)
• 4 sachets of squid or cuttlefish ink (about 4 g each)
• Salt
• 1 Lemon, cut into wedges
• 4 tbsp allioli or garlic mayonnaise, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Heat the oil in a 30–34 cm paella pan over high heat. Sear the prawns for 1 minute a side until just pink, then lift them out and set aside.
2. Add the squid to the hot oil and fry for 3–4 min, until any liquid has bubbled away and the edges start to colour.
3. Lower the heat to medium, add the onion and pepper and cook for 8 min until soft. Stir in the garlic for 1 minute, then the tomato and paprika, and cook for 5 min until thick and dark.
4. Pour in the wine and let it bubble for 2 min. Whisk the squid ink into the hot stock until evenly black.
5. Stir the rice into the pan for 1 minute, then pour in the inky stock, season with salt and stir once to spread everything out. Boil briskly for 8 min, then turn the heat to low and cook for 8–10 min more without stirring.
6. Press the prawns back into the rice for the last 3 min. When the liquid has gone and the rice is just tender, rest the pan off the heat under a tea towel for 5 min. Serve with lemon and allioli.

Tips

• Squid ink is sold in small sachets at fishmongers, Spanish delis and online; it keeps in the freezer.
• Allioli is made with raw egg unless you use shop-bought mayonnaise, which also keeps the dish safe for pregnant guests.
• Cool leftover rice within 1 hour, keep it in the fridge and eat it within a day, reheating until piping hot.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Spain on a Fork olive magazine Directo al Paladar