Catalan Kitchen LogoThe Catalan Table
Paella - Forki
Paella with a rich and flavorful sofrito, filled with juicy shrimp, tender cuttlefish, and fresh clams that bring a maritime burst to every bite.
prawn
seafood
rice
main dish
traditional
Ingredients
Servings:
4

Ingredients

  • 16 medium prawns
  • 1 medium cuttlefish
  • 20 clams (or mussels)
  • 400 gbomba rice
  • 1080 mlfish stock
  • 1 onion
  • 2 ripe tomatoes
  • 1 celery stalk
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 leek
  • 4 clovesgarlic
  • 2 litersmineral water
  • 500 grockfish (or crabs, or mantis shrimp,…)
  • the heads and shells of the prawns
  • oil
  • 3 ripe tomatoes
  • 2 spring onions
  • 1 roasted red pepper ESCALIVAT
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • saffron
  • 50 mlextra virgin olive oil
Nutritional Information

Per Serving (Approx.)

Calories
1856 kcal
Protein
263 g
Fat
32 g
Carbohydrates
134 g

Disclaimer: These values are estimates based on ingredient types and may not be precise.

Step-by-step Guide

Clams

  • Soak the clams in salted water for at least 2 hours to expel sand. It is advisable to complete this step the day before cooking to ensure the clams are thoroughly cleaned.

Roasted Pepper

  • Preheat the oven to the highest temperature and turn on the broiler. Place the red pepper on a baking tray and roast it under the broiler until the skin begins to blacken, approximately 10 minutes.
  • Continuously monitor the pepper while it is broiling. Once the skin on one side is black, rotate the pepper a quarter turn. Repeat this process until the pepper is fully rotated and the skin is blackened all over, approximately 40 minutes in total.
  • Remove the pepper from the oven and let it cool until it is manageable to touch, about 15 to 20 minutes. Once cool, peel off the charred skin and remove the seeds.
  • Chop the pepper into very small pieces and set aside in a bowl until ready to serve.

Cuttlefish

  • Clean the cuttlefish under a stream of cold running water, without removing the skin, ensuring any visible impurities are eliminated. This process should last about 2-3 minutes.
  • Carefully separate the body from the tentacles of the cuttlefish. Reserve the sac with the ink in a small container to use later in the preparation of the dish.
  • Cut the body of the cuttlefish into bite-sized pieces, approximately 3x3 cm, and the tentacles into small bits. Make sure they are small enough for even cooking. Reserve the cut cuttlefish on a plate or bowl for the next step of the recipe.

Prawns

  • Carefully separate the heads of the shrimp from the tails, ensuring not to pull away too much meat.
  • Peel the shrimp tails, removing all the shell, and reserve the shells to make a stock or sauce later on.
  • With a small knife, remove the dark vein from the shrimp's back. Reserve the tails in a covered container and place them in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
  • Sauté the shrimp heads in a large skillet over medium-high heat with a bit of olive oil for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking.
  • Remove the heads from the skillet and press them firmly over a deep plate, using a spoon, to extract all the interior substance.
  • Reserve the obtained substance in a sealed container and store it in the refrigerator for later use in the dish.

Stock

  • Thoroughly clean the rock fish, ensuring to completely remove the entrails, and rinse it under cold water.
  • If we have small crabs or mantis shrimp, we'll sauté them in a pan with a bit of olive oil until they are lightly golden, for about 2-3 minutes.
  • To prepare the stock, place the clean rockfish, the specified herbs, as well as the shrimp heads and shells in a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Once it reaches boiling point, let it simmer for about 20 minutes.
  • Strain the stock using a fine sieve and set aside. If, instead of preparing the stock, we opt to use Aneto fish broth, first boil the shrimp heads and shells in this broth for about 10 minutes. Then, strain the broth and set aside.

Garlic and Parsley Mince

  • Prepare a garlic and parsley mixture by finely chopping them. If available, we can add a couple of finely chopped anchovy fillets. Add a good splash of olive oil and stir well until fully integrated. Set aside until the rice is cooked and we remove the pan from the heat.

Sofrito

  • Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for about 30 seconds to make the skin easier to remove. Once peeled, cut the pulp in half, remove the seeds, and finely chop the pulp.
  • Sauté the tomato pulp in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil over very low heat for at least 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
  • After 30 minutes of cooking, add a tablespoon of sugar to start caramelizing the sofrito. Stir well to integrate the sugar.
  • Add the julienned onion and sliced garlic to the tomato sofrito, stirring continuously to integrate and cook them evenly.
  • After 45 minutes of cooking, add the cuttlefish cut into small pieces and continue cooking over very low heat. Stir often so that the cuttlefish cooks evenly.
  • When the cuttlefish has cooked for about 15 minutes, add a splash of cognac. Allow it to reduce until the alcohol completely evaporates.
  • Add a ladle of fish stock to the sofrito and mix in half a tablespoon of sweet paprika and a bit of saffron. Stir to incorporate the flavors.
  • Finally, add the previously roasted red pepper and let the mixture cook for another 15 minutes over low heat.
  • Towards the end of cooking, add the juice from the shrimp heads and the cuttlefish ink you set aside earlier, stirring to mix well with the sofrito.

Rice

  • Meanwhile, put the pot with the strained stock on the stove to bring it to a boil. It's important to keep the heat high so it reaches a boil quickly.
  • When the stock is boiling, add the rice to the pan with the sofrito. Stir well and let the rice cook without the stock for about 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly so it absorbs the flavors.
  • Next, pour the boiling stock into the paella pan and stir to ensure it is distributed evenly. Important: The amount of stock will vary depending on whether we are cooking the paella on the stovetop or in the oven:
  • If cooking on the stovetop: use a liquid volume equivalent to 2.25 times the weight of the rice. It's recommended to use medium-high heat to maintain a constant simmer.
  • If cooking in the oven: the liquid volume should be between 2.0 and 2.5 times the weight of the rice. Note: Add the prawns to the paella when there are about 5-7 minutes left for cooking, so they remain tender and flavorful.
  • Now we have two ways to continue cooking the paella. If opting for the stovetop, keep the paella over medium heat for approximately 15-20 minutes, until the rice is cooked. If preferring the oven, place the paella in a preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius and leave it for the same time.

To the Fire

  • Allow the dish to cook for 8 minutes on High Heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
  • Then, reduce the heat to LOW, add the clams or mussels, and let it cook for 8 more minutes with the lid on. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
  • After 16 minutes of cooking, add the chopped and strained fish roe, stirring gently to integrate it well.
  • Incorporate the raw shrimp tails into the preparation and increase the heat to High for 2 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked.
  • Turn off the heat and add the garlic and parsley mixture on top, distributing it evenly.
  • Let the dish rest for 2 or 3 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld well.

Oven-baked

  • Preheat the oven to 150ºC for at least 20 minutes before placing the pan inside. This will ensure the oven is at the correct temperature when it's time to cook.
  • After adding the broth to the pan, let it cook on High GAS for 5 minutes to ensure it boils properly and the flavors meld.
  • Add the clams or mussels to the pan. At this point, adjust the salt and pepper to taste to ensure it is well-seasoned.
  • Add the previously chopped and strained roe to the pan, distributing it evenly.
  • Place the pan in the preheated oven at 150ºC and let it cook for 15 minutes to ensure even cooking.
  • After 10 minutes of baking in the oven, carefully open the oven and add the shrimp on top of the paella. Continue cooking for the remaining 5 minutes to finish cooking the shrimp.
  • Remove the paella from the oven and sprinkle the chopped garlic and parsley on top to add a touch of freshness.
  • Let the paella rest for 2 or 3 minutes before serving so the flavors combine well.
Recommendations & Tricks
  • Add the boiling broth to the paella pan and stir well. Important: If cooking the paella on the stove, use 2.25 times the weight of the rice in liquid. If baking it in the oven, use between 2.0 and 2.5 times the weight of the rice in broth volume. Ensure to adjust the volume according to the power of your stove or oven.
  • Add the shrimp to the paella a few minutes before finishing the cooking process, when the rice is almost cooked but still has a bit of liquid. This allows the shrimp to be perfectly cooked without overcooking.
  • For stovetop cooking, cook the paella on High Heat for 8 minutes. This allows the water to evaporate more quickly and the rice to absorb the flavor.
  • Reduce the heat to LOW, add the clams or mussels, and cook for an additional 8 minutes. This will allow the shellfish to open and infuse their flavor into the dish.
  • Adjust the salt and pepper to your taste just before finishing the cooking. Always taste before adding more salt.
  • At 16 minutes of cooking, add the chopped and strained fish liver. This will enrich the flavor of the paella, imparting a deeper texture and taste.