In 1992 I was invited to join a group of food and wine writers on a visit to the universal exposition in Seville. We were offered a tasty arroz a la Sevillana, cooked in front of us in a paella pan. This was not a classic Valencian paella, so did not feature any of the usual cooking and ingredient restrictions.It included, among many other ingredients, chorizo, shellfish and fish.
It was delicious - and very colourful.
SERVES SIX
- 75g cooking chorizo, sliced
- 500g clams, washed
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 250g squid, cleaned and chopped
- 250g monkfish, deboned and cut into chunky pieces
- 150g serrano ham, chopped
- 250g fresh peas
- 500g Andalusian round rice
- A few Spanish saffron filaments
- 1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
- Spanish olive oil, for frying
- Sea salt
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, cooled, peeled and quartered
- Lemon wedges
- 2 roasted red bell peppers, cut into strips, or from a jar
1. First sauté the chorizo in a small frying pan with little olive oil for a few minutes, until the oil has been released and the chorizo is starting to crisp. Set aside.
2. Place the washed clams in a saucepan with a little water. Heat and let the clams open. Discard any that have remained closed or have broken shells. Drain off the clam stock and keep it warm in a pan. Reserve the clams.
3. Heat three tablespoons of olive oil in a large shallow saucepan or paella pan. Sauté the onion until golden. Add one of the garlic cloves and stir. Add the squid and monkfish and stir well before adding the ham and the peas. Stir again and pour in 1.5 litres of water. Bring to the boil, then cook until the squid and the the fish are almost tender. Sprinkle the rice around the pan and stir gently. Add the warm clam stock. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
4. Using a pestle and mortar, pound the second garlic clove, a few saffron filaments and the chopped parsley to a paste, then add this to the pan and leave to cook, uncovered, for about 18 minutes. Do not stir during this time and do not overcook the rice.
5. Scatter the chorizo and the clams around the pan and cook for a further five minutes to heat through.
6. When ready to serve, let the paella rest for a couple of minutes before serving with a few drops of lemon juice. Decorate the dish with the eggs and strips of roasted red pepper.
Cocina de Andalucía: Spanish Recipes from a Thousand Landscapes, by María José Sevilla, is published by Ryland Peters & Small, price £22. Photographs by Nassima Rothacker
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