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Ash Mair demonstrates how to Cook the Perfect Paella with Prawn, Fennel and Alioli

The Perfect Paella with Prawn, Fennel and Alioli

The combination of sweet prawns and a slight aniseed flavour from the fennel match up fantastically and serving it with alioli adds an extra touch of luxury and richness.

Ingredients

30 ml (2 tablespoons) olive oil

6 baby fennel, cut in half lengthways

1 small onion, finely diced

1 garlic clove, peeled and

finely sliced

300 g (10 oz) Bomba rice

120 g (41/2 oz) sofrito (2 garlic cloves, 1 medium onion, 1 red bell pepper, 2 plum tomatoes, ½ teaspoon coarse salt, 1 bay leaf. Finely chop everything (except the tomatoes) and sauté gently for 30 mins, then add finely chopped and deseeded tomatoes and cook for another 45 mins, stirring gently)

180 ml (6 fl oz) alioli, to serve (1-3 garlic cloves, crushed with ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 egg yolk,1 teaspoon white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon water, 75 ml vegetable oil, 75 ml extra virgin oil. Whisk together crushed garlic, egg yolk, vinegar and water. Slowly drizzle in the oils to make an emulsion.The alioli will thicken considerably when refrigerated.

Coarse sea salt

Prawn Stock

12 raw large prawns

30 ml (2 tablespoons) olive oil

1 small onion, peeled and diced

1 celery stalk, roughly chopped

1 medium carrot, peeled and diced

1 garlic clove, peeled

200 ml (7 fl oz) dry white wine

2 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped

1.2 litres (2 pints) fish stock

Preparation Method

To make the stock, shell the prawns, leaving the small tail flaps on. Retain the heads and shells.

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat then add the prawn shells and heads and sauté for 2–3 minutes or until bright red and fragrant.

Add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic and cook until the vegetables have taken on a little colour. Add the white wine and bring to a simmer, then reduce by half.

Add the tomatoes and keep cooking until reduced by half again. Add the stock and bring it to the boil, skimming off any scum from the top.

Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 25 minutes.

Pass the stock through a fine sieve making sure to press the solids with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids. You should have about 1 litre (1¾ pints) in total. If not top it up with water.

Place the prawn stock back over a low heat to keep it hot.

Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas mark 3.

For the paella, heat the olive oil in a 30 cm (12 in) paella pan over medium heat. Sauté the baby fennel on each side until slightly golden and remove from the pan.

Put the onion and garlic in the pan and sweat down until soft. Add the rice and continue cooking while stirring until the rice turns translucent.

Stir in the sofrito. Add the hot prawn stock with a good sprinkling of sea salt then stir and bring to the boil.

Simmer rapidly for 5 minutes then arrange the baby fennel in a star shape on the top of the rice. Put the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 12–14 minutes until the rice is almost done.

Remove the pan from the oven and arrange the prawns on top of the rice. Return to the oven for another 3–4 minutes to cook the prawns.

Remove the pan from the oven and cover with a lid or aluminium foil and leave to rest for 3–4 minutes before serving with the alioli on the side.