Food & Wine
Perfect smoked fish paella
One of the reasons the so-called Mediterranean diet is considered healthy is that it features many dishes like this one from Spain, based on rice cooked in olive oil with lots of vegetables and a modest amount of protein foods. The spicy chorizo here adds an authentic Spanish flavour.
Ingredients
- 1 litre vegetable or fish stock
- large pinch of saffron threads
- 50g thin chorizo sausage
- 400g undyed smoked haddock fillet, skinned
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic, crushed, or 1 tablespoon bottled chopped garlic in oil, drained
- 250 g green beans, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 1/4 cups (275g) paella or other shortgrain rice
- 1 cup (155g) frozen peas
- salt and pepper
- finely chopped fresh parsley to garnish
Preparation
- Bring the stock to the boil in a pan over a high heat. Add the saffron threads, reduce the heat and leave to simmer gently while preparing the other ingredients.
- Remove the thick skin from the chorizo sausage and thinly slice the sausage. Cut the haddock into large chunks.
- Heat the oil in a 30 cm round, shallow flameproof casserole, paella pan or frying pan. Add the chorizo, onion, garlic and green beans and fry for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the rice and stir until all the grains are coated with oil. Add the saffron-flavoured stock and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Gently stir in the haddock pieces and peas. Simmer for 20 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender.
- Stir halfway through cooking, taking care not to break up the haddock too much. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.
This article first appeared in Reader’s Digest. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, here’s our best subscription offer.