Light Seafood Paella

📝 Ingredients

• 450 g short-grain paella rice
• 2 fish stock cubes + 1300 ml hot water
• 2 tsp sweet paprika + 1 sachet saffron powder (0.1 g)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 brown onion + 3 garlic cloves
• 1 red pepper + 1 green pepper (about 150 g each)
• 2 very ripe tomatoes (about 120 g each)
• 200 g frozen peas
• 500 g hake fillet (fresh, or frozen and thawed)
• 400 g raw peeled prawns
• 750 g mussels (about 36 mussels)
• 1 lemon (in wedges, to serve)
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• 40 cm paella pan (or very large sauté pan)
• Saucepan
• Coarse grater
• Chef's knife
• Chopping board
• Aluminium foil

📖 Steps

1. Dissolve the stock cubes in the hot water with the saffron and keep this stock at a gentle simmer over a low heat in the saucepan. Finely chop the onion and garlic, and cut the peppers into 1 cm strips. Halve the tomatoes and grate them on the cut side, discarding the skin.
2. Scrub the mussels under cold water and pull off the beards. Discard any that are broken or that stay open when tapped. Cut the hake into large 4 cm chunks, then pat it dry with the prawns on kitchen paper.
3. Heat the olive oil in the paella pan over a medium heat. Fry the peppers for 5 min, then add the onion and garlic and cook for another 4 min, until soft and translucent, without letting them burn.
4. Add the tomato pulp and paprika and cook for 4 min, stirring, until the mixture thickens into a jammy sauce. Tip in the rice and stir for 1 min to coat it well in this fragrant base.
5. Pour in all the hot stock at once, spread the rice evenly across the pan and bring to the boil. Taste the stock and adjust the salt. From this point on, don't stir again: that's what gives paella its texture and crispy base.
6. Cook for 10 min over a medium-high heat; the stock should be simmering across the whole surface. If the pan is bigger than the burner, give it a quarter turn every 2 to 3 min so the rice cooks evenly all over.
7. Scatter over the peas, push the hake and prawns halfway into the rice, then arrange the mussels on top, hinge side down. Cover with foil and cook for 8 to 10 min over a medium-low heat, until the mussels open and the liquid has been absorbed.
8. Taste the rice: it should be tender. If it's still firm and dry, sprinkle over a few spoonfuls of hot water and cook for 3 min more. Remove the foil and turn up to a high heat for 1 to 2 min, until you hear the bottom crackle gently, without letting it burn.
9. Turn off the heat, put the foil back on and leave to rest for 5 min. Discard any mussels that have stayed closed, season with pepper, then serve straight from the pan with the lemon wedges to squeeze over the rice.