Ina’s Easy Paella

Ina’s Easy Paella

I’ve called this Ina’s easy Paella, but it is really Easy Lobster Paella from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa at Home. Except I used tiger prawns instead of lobster, because although I’ve eaten lobster once I like prawns so much better. Of course there is the fact that even if I could have found the lobster (which I really would have struggled to do) it would have probably have cost an arm and a leg for 1 ½ lbs of lobster. As it was the prawns alone were £12. I hope this doesn’t make me sounds mean!

Anyhow back to the paella. I’ve never made a real paella before, by which I mean one of Spanish origin. I have one lined up, even have the proper rice, but haven’t made it yet. I have read about many different paellas, and what should go and what should not go in. Apart from anything else snails and rabbit are never going to be appearing in my kitchen. It can all sound a bit daunting.

Ina’s paella was simply fabulous! It was easy, pretty, delicious, full of bits and pieces and just so good. The sun shone when I served it and a little bit of Spain (or America) was ours for a short while.

It makes a lot, you would need 6 really good eaters to not have any left from this amount, but the upside of this is there is now a good lunch in the fridge for tomorrow ready to go! I will definitely make this one again.

The only change in method I made to Ina’s recipe was that she suggests to stir in the sausage, shellfish and peas and allow to steam with the heat turned off. I did this and the additions were still cool (well the sausage was actually cold), so I put it back in the oven for 10 minutes with the lid on and everything was fine.

Easy Lobster Paella

¼ cup good olive oil
1 ½ cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions)
2 red bell peppers, cored and cut into ½ inch strips
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 cups white basmati rice
5 cups good chicken stock
½ teaspoon saffron threads
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon kosher salt (I used less)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (I used less)
1/3 cup Pernod
1 ½ lbs cooked lobster meat (I used cooked prawns)
1 lb kielbasa, slices ¼ inch thick (I used smoked sausage)
10 oz frozen peas
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
2 lemons, cut into wedges for serving.

Preheat the oven to 425 o. (I did 180oC in a fan oven).
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the onions and cook over a medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bell peppers and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes more. Lower the heat and add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Stir in the rice, chicken stock, saffron, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and place in the oven. After 15 minutes stir the rice gently with a wooden spoon, and return it to the oven to bake uncovered for a further 10 -–15 minutes, until the rice is fully cooked.

Transfer the paella back to the stove top and add the Pernod. Cook the paella over a medium heat for 1 minute, until the Pernod is absorbed by the rice. Turn off the heat and add the lobster, sausage and peas and stir gently. Cover the paella and allow it to steam for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley, garnish with lemon wedges and serve hot.