Wedding Paella
I love to entertain and Paella is a great way to bring food and friends together. I enjoy the way watching the food cook, out in the open, really helps create a sense of anticipation, excitement and a festive party environment. Occasionally, a friend will ask me to make a special paella. This is a paella I made for a wedding reception so no lengths were spared to make it unforgettable!
What you will need
33 cups your best homemade fish stock
10 cups bomba rice, preferably from Calasparra(note other rices will require less stock!)
10 Medium tomatoes, grated, skins discarded
1 tablespoon spanish sweet smoked paprika
10 cloves of garlic thinly sliced
10 cloves garlic finely minced
2 grams of saffron (lightly toasted)
2 tablespoons minced tarragon
1/2 cup minced parsley
4 pounds squid, body cut into rings, and tentacles
4 pounds mussels precooked with one shell removed. I generally discard the mussel liquor because I find it overpowers everything else!
5 pounds U16-20 shrimp, deveined but with shells left on. Heads-on are fine if not better!
12 extra colossal prawns U10 or less. I was lucky to find U3 for this paella. Prior to cooking sprinkle these prawns with a mixture of 3 parts salt to 1 part spanish smoked paprika, ideally an hour or two before cooking.
3 pounds green peas
2 pounds baby Lima beans. Frozen or fresh but simmer in a little stock until tender before hand
4 pounds sugar snap peas or string beans (strings removed)
Red , green and yellow peppers, 2 each. Roast over a flame and rest in a paper bag for 10mins or so. Remove the skin and core and slice into 1/4 wide slices
Optional: assorted edible flowers like nasturtiums and squash blossoms marigolds are also shown and while edible, many types of marigolds are bitter so I don't use them anymore
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