Rice with monkfish and red prawns

We cut the monkfish tail into medium-sized cubes to mix into the rice and slice a few pieces from the thicker part of the fish. These slices are first seared in the paella pan with olive oil and set aside to use as decoration when plating the dish. The rest of the monkfish is briefly sautéed over high heat in the paella pan, then removed and added to the rice during the last five minutes of cooking. This ensures the fish stays tender and juicy. The same process is followed with the peeled prawn tails.

Next, we squeeze the heads of fresh, raw prawns to extract their flavorful juice. This juice is used to prepare an aioli with confit garlic and extra virgin olive oil, which is reserved to enhance the dish once the rice is ready. The squeezed prawn heads and shells are briefly sautéed in the paella pan to intensify the flavor and then removed.

We then sauté finely chopped green garlic over low heat, taking care not to burn it, before adding a tablespoon of salmorreta (a traditional seasoning mix). To this, we pour in 2.5 liters of fish stock. Once the stock begins to boil, we sprinkle the rice evenly over the pan, add a pinch of salt, and let it cook for a total of 17 minutes. The first three minutes are cooked over high heat, with the remaining time on medium heat.

With 5 minutes left, we add the monkfish cubes, the sautéed prawn tails, and the saffron threads previously soaked in a small amount of fish stock. To finish, we transfer the paella pan to an oven preheated to 180°C (356°F) to let the rice dry out evenly, preventing it from sticking or burning. After 17 minutes, we remove the pan from the oven and, if we want to achieve the famous socarrat (crispy rice crust), we briefly place the paella back on high heat for a few seconds.