Nathan Outlaw's home kitchen... paella recipe

His two Michelin-starred Cornish fish restaurant in Port Isaac was recently awarded the UK’s Best Restaurant 2018 title by The Good Food Guide for its unique and thrilling fish dishes.

In his new book, Nathan Outlaw’s Home Kitchen, Outlaw shares his favourite fuss-free recipes, from light and wholesome salads to hearty roasts and, of course, simple seafood dishes. These are accessible yet flavourful, everyday dishes.

Seafood paella 

"This is an amazing fun dish that’s great for entertaining. My recipe uses only seafood, but you might like to add some bacon or chicken. In Spain, paella is often served with aïoli, but I think it’s too garlicky for the seafood and imposes on its delicate flavours. This is the kind of dish that everyone likes to help themselves to more of, so I’ve made the quantities generous."

Serves 6

Olive oil for cooking
12 tiger prawns, peeled and deveined (heads and shells reserved)
6 garlic cloves, peeled, 2 left whole, 4 finely chopped
100ml dry sherry
1 litre fish stock
200g monkfish fillet, cut into chunks 4 shallots, peeled and chopped
1 tsp saffron strands
3 tsp smoked paprika
6 ripe plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
400g Calasparra or other short-grain rice
200g podded peas or broad beans (frozen is fine)
300g mussels, de-bearded and cleaned
3 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 lemons, cut into wedges, to serve

Method

1. Heat a large, wide pan and add a splash of olive oil. When hot, add the prawn heads and shells and the 2 whole garlic cloves. Cook, stirring frequently, until the prawn shells are coloured and the garlic is golden. Add the sherry and fish stock, bring to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes. Strain the stock and set aside; discard the prawn heads and shells and the garlic cloves.
2. Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a paella pan or large sauté pan. When it is hot, add the monkfish and cook for 3 minutes, turning the pieces over halfway through cooking. Remove and set aside on a plate.
3. Add another 2 tbsp olive oil to the pan. When hot, add the shallots, chopped garlic and saffron and cook for 2 minutes until the shallots are starting to turn golden. Add the smoked paprika and cook for another 2 minutes, then add the tomatoes and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir to mix well.
4. Pour in 800ml of the fish stock and simmer for 12 minutes. Add the peas or broad beans and mix through. Add the monkfish pieces, tiger prawns and mussels to the pan, distributing them evenly and pushing them down into the rice and liquor. Put the lid on and cook for another 4 minutes until the mussels open; discard any that remain closed. If the paella looks too dry, add a little more stock or water.
5. Cover the pan with foil (or replace the lid) then take it off the heat and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
6. To serve, lift off the foil or lid, season the paella with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges on the side.

This recipe is taken from Nathan Outlaw's Home Kitchen: 100 Recipes to Cook for Family and Friends