Day: September 9, 2018

SEAFOOD PAELLA of ZAMBOANGA CITY, PHILIPPINES

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Throughout Zamboanga, you’ll see various Spanish influences in their architecture, their awesome language (Chavacano!), and the food. Country Chicken Restaurant may sound like an American eatery but their seafood paella is simply divine. Topped with prawns, clams, peas, and green beans, the turmeric rice is very flavorful. I could have a huge serving all to myself! Of course, don’t forget to try Country Chicken Restaurant’s other Filipino dishes and their crispy fried chicken.

 

Image result for Seafood Paella

INGREDIENTS

  • 6cups clam or seafood broth
  • 1tsp thread saffron
  • 1 1/2pounds firm-fleshed fish, cut in bite-sized pieces
  • 1dozen mussels
  • 1dozen small clams
  • 12large shrimp in shells
  • Spanish sea salt
  • 2tbsp parsley, minced
  • 8cloves garlic, minced
  • 1tbsp fresh thyme
  • 2tsp sweet smoked paprika
  • 8tbsp olive oil
  •  1medium onion, chopped
  •  6scallions, chopped
  •  1red bell pepper, finely chopped
  •  1large tomato, chopped
  •  2cups Bomba paella rice or Calasparra paella rice
  •  Lemon wedges
  •  Alioli (garlic mayonnaise)

PROCEDURES

STEP 1
Heat broth in a large pot. Stir in saffron. Pat fish and shrimp dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and let sit 10 minutes. Use a mortar and pestle to mash parsley, garlic, thyme and 1/8 tsp salt into a paste; stir in paprika. Add water if necessary to form a paste.
STEP 2
Heat 6 tbsp of oil in 15″ paella pan over medium high heat and quickly brown the fish 1-2 minutes. Do not fully cook. Remove to warm platter. Add remaining 2 tbsp of oil, onion, scallions and bell pepper to paella pan and cook until the vegetables are slightly softened. Raise heat, add tomato and cook until it becomes sauce-like, 2 to 5 minutes. Pour in the hot broth and bring to a boil. Sprinkle the rice evenly across the pan. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring rice and rotating pan occasionally. Add all reserved fish (but not shrimp). Stir in parsley paste. Taste for salt. Do not stir after this point. Lower the heat, continue to simmer until rice is no longer soupy but enough liquid remains to continue cooking the rice (about 10 min.). Add extra liquid if necessary.
STEP 3
Arrange shrimp, clams and mussels over rice, placing edges of mussel and clam shells so they open facing up. Cook, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes until rice is almost done. Remove pan from the heat and cover with foil. Let sit 10 minutes. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve with fresh alioli.