Squid Paella

It is a shame that many tourists in Spain dine on fried squid, with more batter per mouthful than meat, and do not take advantage of the opportunity to savor squid without its bready camouflage. In this paella, the delightful, true flavor of the squid shines through, and is subtly enhanced by the combination of rosemary, cumin, oregano, hot pepper flakes and sherry.

Serves: 6
Difficulty: Intermediate
Preparation time: 60 minutes

Ingredients

24 oz cleaned squid
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup (2 fl. oz) of olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 1/4 cups (26 fl. oz) fish broth
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 1/4 cups (10 oz) rice
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 cup (2 fl. oz) dry sherry
1/4 teaspoon saffron
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
Lemon wedges, to garnish

Preparation

Cut the bodies of the squid into rings, quarter the tentacles, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a paella pan over medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic and green bell pepper for about 3 minutes. Add the tomato and sauté for a further 3 minutes.

Pour the rice into the paella pan and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the sherry and continue to stirr until the sherry evaporates.

Add the squid, broth, and the rest of the seasonings and cook for 25 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the broth has been absorbed. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve.