Paella rice with tiger prawns and mushrooms
Rice / Summer / Warren Olds / Serves: 6

1½ tsp coriander seeds
7 green peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme

400 gm tiger prawns
1 squid, about 120–150 gm, cleaned and cut into small dice
125 ml olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeded, peeled and cut into fine strips
1 large white onion
50 g (½ cup) fennel bulb, cut into fine strips
1 large ripe tomato, peeled, seeded and grated, skin discarded
1 tsp Spanish sweet smoked paprika
100 ml white wine
1.35 litres chicken stock
375 gm calasparra rice
½ tsp saffron, toasted and pounded
250 gm fresh shiitake, oyster, king brown mushrooms, chopped
zest of 1 lime
salt

Source

Alberto Herráiz
Paella
Phaiden, 2011

Toast the coriander seeds and green peppercorns in dry pan until fragrant.
Add to bouquet garni with bay and thyme
Rinse the prawns, detach their heads and reserve, then devein.

Heat the oil over medium heat and add the reserved prawn heads.
Saute until starting to brown.
Add the prawns and sliced garlic and sauté for a few minutes until the garlic is lightly browned and prawns half-cooked.
Remove prawns and garlic from the pan and keep warm to one side, covered with aluminium foil.
Add green pepper, onion, fennel and mushrooms and cook over medium heat until starting to brown.
Push the vegetables towards the edge of the pan and gently saute the squid in the centre until half cooked.
Push this away to the edge of the pan.
Add the grated tomato to the centre of the pan and cook over a low heat until reduced.
Add the paprika and cook for a few seconds more.
Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan.
Allow to evaporate a little, then add hot stock and bouquet garni.
Sprinkle the rice over the surface of the liquid in the pan, add the saffron and lime zest and stir well.

Bring to a boil and leave the rice to cook totally undisturbed.
After 5 minutes, taste and season with salt, if needed, bearing in mind the flavour will become more pronounced as the liquid reduces.

When the rice begins to rise to the surface, reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer.
Once all the liquid in the pan has evaporated return the prawns to the pan and cook until a thin crust forms on the bottom of the pan (3–5 min).

Cover with foil and allow to rest for 3 minutes before serving.