Ingredients
1 large onion
1/3 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves
2 medium tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Salt
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
A good pinch of saffron threads
4 small squid
2 cups paella rice or risotto rice
3 cups fish or chicken stock, plus more if needed
1 cup dry white wine, optional
12 jumbo shrimp
16 mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
PREPARATION
1. Peel and chop onion. Mince the garlic. Peel tomatoes, and chop into small pieces.
2. Clean squid. Remove tentacles and leave whole. Slice the rest into ¼ inch wide rings.
3. Heat oil in a pan until a drop of water dropped in sizzles. Put the chopped onion and cook until soft, stirring frequently. After a few minutes, when onion is soft and translucent, add the garlic. A few minutes later, add the tomatoes. Sprinkle in the sugar, a bit of salt, paprika, and saffron, and then stir well. Cook until the tomatoes are like a sauce. Add the squid and cook for a minute or so, stirring frequently. Add the rice and stir well.
4. Put the stock and wine in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Pour over the rice, and bring to a boil again. Stir well; then spread the rice out evenly in the pan. Cook the rice over low heat for about 10 minutes; don’t stir the rice, but instead move the pan around and rotate it so that the rice cooks evenly. Lay the shrimp on top of the rice, and cook for another 10 minutes. Turn the shrimp over. Add a little more hot stock when needed. When the rice is done, remove from heat and cover the pan with a lid or foil.
5. Steam the mussels until they open, then place on top of the paella.
Enjoy!
