A ninety mile drive, north east yesterday took me to Whitby to see Rob and Emma Green whose restaurant - Green's - is the beacon of great seafood cooking along this part of the coast.
As I parked, seagulls circled overhead. One landed on the roof of my car. I tried to shoo it away but it insisted on staying put. I let it be as its beak looked spiky.
Emma greeted me. It was lovely to see her. She is otherwise known as Emma Stothard, maker of intricately woven British wildlife willow sculptures such as boxing hares and foxes which grace the grounds of grand houses such as Highgrove and Le Manoir, Raymond Blanc's restaurant in Oxfordshire. We had a quick chat before I was handed over to chef and husband Rob.
I am in Whitby to learn how to cook shellfish for an article I am writing. Rob has set up a cooking school which he is running out of his restaurant kitchen. His sous chef Ryan Osborne is on hand to help out.
Squid, mussels, king and queen scallops are on the agenda for a group of us keen students. We are going to shuck, clean, chop, sweat and cook them all. For this blog post I have to choose one recipe and I think it has to be paella - the colourful Spanish peasant dish.
Rob explained paella rice is the bedrock of this dish. This type of rice is characteristically sticky, and distinct from risotto rice which is creamy when cooked. Varieties such as Bahia, Balilla, Bomba, Senia and Calasparra are all suitable for making paella.
Good quality saffron is essential, so too is smoked paprika known as pimentón picante. A carefully sweated base of shallots, garlic and coloured peppers are also part of the bedrock thereafter what you put in paella in terms of meat and fish is up for grabs. Traditionally it depended on what was available to farmers - rabbit, snails, chicken, beans and shellfish were all used.
These days use a mix of fresh or frozen squid; shell fish such as mussels or clams; and prawns - raw and peeled to cook in the paella and large, cooked and whole reserved as decoration. Meat can be added but just a little chopped chorizo is perfect.
You should estimate about 500g shellfish per person.
Paella is a dish for a crowd. You cannot really make it for one or two people. It is a fun, flamboyant dish to make in a large, wide pan and placed in the centre of the table to be shared. Garlicky aioli, crusty bread and cool wine make the meal.
Rob Green's paella
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 100g chorizo, sliced into rounds
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 150g shallot, finely chopped
- 1 red pepper, seeds removed and sliced
- 1 green pepper, seeds removed and sliced
- 1½ tsp pimentón picante (smoked hot Spanish paprika)
- 200g cleaned squid, sliced and lightly seasoned with salt
- 200g large, raw peeled prawns
- 500g clams
- 600g paella rice
- 1 heaped tsp saffron strands
- 1½ litres fish stock
- 250g mussels, cleaned and open
- 6 langoustine or large unpeeled cooked prawns
- sea salt to season
- Aioli to serve
Method
Place a large, paella pan or wok over a medium heat. Heat the oil gently and add the chopped shallot and garlic followed by the peppers. Sweat for 5 minutes or until soft. Stir in the squid and stir fry for 5 minutes or until white and opaque. Scatter the peeled prawns, clams and risotto rice over the pan and stir gently. Add the saffron strands and the stock and a teaspoon of salt. Bring to the boil and stir gently to mix the ingredients together well.
Leave the paella to simmer for 6 minutes but do not stir it any more but turn the pan around on the heat to ensure even cooking. Arrange the mussels and unpeeled prawns over the paella and allow to cook for a further 14 minutes - again without stirring. The rice should have absorbed the stock and should appear pitted with small holes. Turn off the heat and cover the pan with a clean tea towel. Leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving with aioli and fresh crusty bread and a fresh seasonal salad.