Seafood Paella Recipe

Remove the heads and shells from the prawns and transfer to a small bowl. Clean and gut the squid, if your fishmonger hasn’t already, then cut the body into 1cm rings, and the tentacles into 2-3 pieces. Clean and debeard the mussels, if the fishmonger hasn’t already. Put the prawn bodies, squid and mussels back in the fridge for the time being.

Pour 1 tbsp oil into a saucepan set over a high heat and, once hot, add the prawn heads and shells. Fry for 4-5 mins, stirring occasionally until caramelised, then add the tomato purée and cook for 2 mins while stirring. Pour in the stock, add the saffron, if using, and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 30 mins, then use a potato masher to crush the shells and prawn heads as much as possible. Pour into a large jug through a sieve, squeezing as much liquid as possible out. You should have roughly 750ml liquid. If not, add more boiling water to make it up to 750ml.

Finely chop the onion and fennel, then peel and finely chop the garlic.

Heat 3 tbsp oil in a large, deep frying pan set over a medium heat and add the fennel with a pinch of salt. Cook for 8-10 mins until the fennel is soft, then scrape in the garlic and scatter in the fennel seeds and cook for 2 mins until smelling amazing.

Add the rice and stir to coat each grain in the oil before pouring in the wine and bubbling for a few minutes.

Pour in the 750ml of stock, season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Put on the lid and cook over a low-medium heat for 20 mins, until the rice is very nearly cooked.

Remove the lid and nestle in the prawn bodies, squid pieces and mussels, then put the lid back on and cook for another 6-8 mins until everything is cooked and the mussels have opened.

Scatter over the parsley and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over and a big green salad.