Jumping fish

Paella with gambas

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  • 2 persons
  • cooking time: 50 min
  • difficulty

Ingredients

  • 2 onions
  • olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 12 gambas, head on
  • 2 squids, cleaned and diced
  • 2 tbsp white wine
  • 1 big tomato
  • 1 tsp paprika powder
  • 2 cups of "bomba" rice (paella rice)
  • 4,5 cups of fish stock
  • salt and pepper

How to prepare

Originated in the region of Valencia, but over the years this dish became a big part in the traditions of many other regions throughout Spain. I am of course talking about the famous paella. And what better place to prepare paella than in Spain itself! I’m in Cadaqués, in front of the restaurant ‘Can Rafa’ with my mate Rafel. Together with his family he owns this famous local restaurant in where he also serves his own made wines (www.saperafita.com).

There are countless variations on this festive recipe and today we will show you my favourite! The gambas we have used are caught just opposite the restaurant in the Mediterranean sea. If you buy them yourself make sure to find some sustainable ones (MSC certified).

Preparation

  • 1 Chop 2 onions into fine pieces. Better would be to use like 5 or 10 onions and safe the rest of the final product for a next dish or safe it in the freezer.

    Take a small frying pan. Cook the onion on low heat and slowly during 4-5 hours while stirring every now and then. Take them apart.
  • 2 Add the garlic with some olive oil in a ‘paella’ pan. Add some parsley after 3-4 minutes. Now take off the heads of the gamba’s and squeeze them out into the pan.

    Add the squid and the white wine.

    Now grate the tomato into the pan and let it simmer until all the liquid of the ingredients have evaporated. Stir slowly but well.

    Add 2 tablespoons of the onions (see point 1).
  • 3 Move the sauce to the edge of the pan and add the paprika powder in the middle. Let it roast for like 15 seconds and now mix it with the sauce (‘sofrito’).

    Now add the rice and stir during 1 minute.
  • 4 Add the fish stock. Only if your stock is non-salted add some salt to the dish. Ground some pepper to it. Stir well.

    Cook the rice for 17-20 minutes. After 15 minutes add the gamba’s to the rice and cover with a lid or newspaper during another few minutes.

    Serve your paella!