This delicious seafood paella will hit the spot! Tip:You can replace half the shellfish with extra fish or fried calamari. 

Seafood paella 

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

3 Tbsp olive oil
8-12 prawns, cleaned
400g hake or any sustainable white fish
Salt and milled pepper
1 large onion, chopped
2 large red peppers, finely chopped  

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 large salad tomatoes, grated
1 ½ cups arborio (risotto) rice
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
3-4 threads saffron (optional)  

5 cups hot fish or vegetable stock
8-12 mussels, cleaned and steamed
Fresh parsley, lemon wedges and aioli, for serving  

Method

1. Heat half the oil in a large ovenproof pan.
2. Fry prawns and fish until parcooked. Season, remove from pan and set aside. Add remaining oil to pan and fry onion until soft.
3. Add peppers, garlic and tomato and fry for 5-8 minutes. Increase heat and stir through rice and paprika, then fry for a few seconds.
4. Combine saffron, if using, with stock and pour over rice.
5. Briefly stir to combine, then avoid stirring for the rest of the cooking time.
6. Simmer for 3 minutes, reduce heat then simmer for 5 more minutes or until liquid is just below rice level.  
7. Return prawns and fish to pan then add mussels.
8. Cover with foil and bake in an oven preheated to 180°C for 5 minutes.
9. Remove and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Top with parsley and serve with lemon and aioli on the side.  

Recipes and styling: Liezl Vermeulen 

Photographs: Fresh Living Magazine 

Also read: Pointers for the perfect paella