Spanish

SPANISH PAELLA

Serves 6

Ingredients

500g risotto rice
1 glass dry white wine
Shellfish stock appx 1.5 litres
12 raw king prawns
24 peeled cooked prawns
12 mussels in the shell or half shell
200g white fish, cod, haddock or similar small diced pieces
100g squid rings
100g chorizo sausage sliced
50g fine beans in small pieces
1 onion finely sliced and chopped
Olive Oil (not extra virgin)
1 red pepper finely chopped
1 green pepper finely chopped
Pinch of saffron

Remove all the seeds and white parts from the peppers, and then add them with the sliced chorizo sausage and stir for 2 minutes.

Soak the saffron in a little warm water to release the colour and flavour. Now add the rice and saffron water and stir for 2 minutes.

Add the glass of wine then cover the rice with the stock and turn the heat up high. The rice will absorb the stock and wine flavours. Follow the advice with the rice packet but usually the rice will be cooked in 17-30 minutes. Half way through add the seafood and all the other remaining ingredients, ensuring that you stir them into the rice to cook through.

There are many ways to amend this dish if you dislike certain ingredients; chicken is useful if you are not so keen on fish, simply replace as you please. Remember to keep any fresh seafood well chilled in the fridge or on ice.

SPANISH OMELETTE

Ingredients

Six eggs (beaten in a large bowl)
Four medium sized potatoes (diced)
One large onion (chopped)
One clove of garlic (crushed)
Two tablespoons of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Pour the olive oil into a large frying pan and heat gently, add the diced potatoes and cook until soft, add the garlic, chopped onions and the salt and pepper and cook until all the vegetables are soft.

Pour off any excess oil (or drain in a collander), add the mixture to the large bowl containing the 6 beaten eggs, stir thoroughly. Add some fresh oil to the frying pan, pour in the mixture and fry for about 10 minutes over a moderate heat, making sure that you shake the pan frequently to prevent the omelette from sticking.

When the underneath is firm, turn the omelette over by placing a large plate over the frying pan and flipping over, then slip back into the pan, alternatively you can cook the other side by putting the frying pan under the grill.

Continue cooking until the omelette is set all the way through; allow to rest for a few minutes after removing from the pan. Spanish omelette can be eaten hot or cold and is delicious straight from the fridge and tastes great served with salad.