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Paella with shellfish and lemon aspen fruit

Method

In a paella or wide saucepan heat a little butter and olive oil, shallots and red desert dust on low heat; then add rice to the pan and sauté until translucent.

When the rice grains are translucent add in the white wine, bush tomato chutney then the stock; place on low heat and allow the rice to cook slowly.

While the rice is gently cooking away, begin to prepare the seafood; remove any bones from the snapper fillets, peel and de-vein the de-headed prawns and slice in half.

Cut the squid tubes into bite sized pieces and score these with diagonal, parallel cross cuts; unless the scallops are still in the shell, they require little if any preparation.

Heat up a hot plate or BBQ for all the seafood; place on the snapper and prawns first, and then put on the scallops and squid as these take very little time to cook; by cooking the seafood this way, it gives the paella a smoky flavour which is usually imparted by the addition of Spanish chorizo sausage in more traditional paella.

Try and cook all the seafood about three quarters the way through, this will ensure that when they are placed in the paella they are not overcooked and tough; add the seafood to the rice, as well as lemon aspen fruits; check the doneness of the rice and the consistency of the paella; a guide is to have risotto like consistency, yet enough liquid to form a sauce.

When the seafood has been added, add half of the parmesan cheese, ensure you reserve some to top on each serve; taste and add salt where required.

Serve in a deep or soup bowl, with a generous serve of parmesan cheese on top.

Submitted by
Vic Cherikoff