Ingredients
- 250 g (9 oz) black mussels, scrubbed, hairy beards removed
- 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) raw medium prawns (shrimp), peeled and deveined, tails intact
- 300 g (10½ oz) skinless firm white fish fillets such as perch or ling, cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) cubes
- 200 g (7 oz) squid rings
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 small red capsicum (pepper), thinly sliced
- 1 small red chilli, deseeded and chopped, optional
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 tomatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (purée)
- 400 g (2 cups) long-grain rice
- 125 ml (72 cup) white wine
- 1.25 litres (5 cups) fish stock
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley, to serve
- lemon wedges, to serve
Method
1. Discard any broken mussels or those that don't close when tapped. Keep the seafood in the fridge, covered, until ready to use.
2. Heat the oil in a paella pan or a large deep frying pan (about 32 cm/13 inch diameter) with a lid. Add the onion, garlic, capsicum and chilli to the pan and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, or until the onion and capsicum are soft. Add the paprika, turmeric and 1 teaspoon salt and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes, or until aromatic. Add the tomato and cook for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the tomato paste. Stir in the rice until well coated.
3. Pour in the white wine and simmer until almost absorbed. Add the stock, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until almost all the liquid is absorbed into the rice. Fluff up the rice occasionally with a fork to separate the grains.
4. Add the mussels to the pan, poking the shells into the rice, cover and cook for 2–3 minutes over low heat. Add the prawns and cook for 2–3 minutes. Add the fish, cover and cook for 3 minutes. Add the squid rings and cook for 1–2 minutes. By this time, the mussels should have opened—discard any unopened ones. The prawns should be pink and the fish should flake easily when tested with a fork. The squid should be white and tender. Cook for another 2–3 minutes if the seafood is not cooked, but avoid overcooking as the seafood will toughen and dry out.
