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Spain, Europe · Seafood Paella

Tom Yum Seafood Paella

Thai-Spanish fusion: rice cooked in a lemongrass, lime leaf and chili tom yum stock with a splash of coconut milk, tangy, spicy and fragrant.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time45 min
DifficultyMedium

Method

  1. Bash the lemongrass with the back of a knife and cut it into 5 cm lengths. Tear the lime leaves, removing the central rib, slice the ginger thinly and lightly crush the chilies. Put them in a 18 cm pot with the chicken stock, fish sauce and sugar, simmer over medium-low heat for to infuse, then keep warm.

    Add in this stepLemongrass stalks 1Makrut lime leaves 3Thinly sliced ginger (stands in for galangal) 10 gBird's eye chilies 1.4Chicken stock 600 mlFish sauce 1½ tbspSugar ½ tsp

    medium-low heat

  2. Heat the oil in a 26 cm pan over medium-high heat and sear the shrimp for 1 minute on each side. Set aside.

    Add in this stepVegetable oil 2 tbspShrimp, peeled with tails on 6

    medium-high heat

  3. In the same pan, fry the thinly sliced shallots and garlic, quartered mushrooms and squid cut into 1 cm rings over medium heat for . Once the mushrooms soften, add the tomato paste and pepper flakes and fry 1 more minute until the oil turns red.

    Add in this stepShallots (or ¼ red onion) 1Garlic cloves 2Button or oyster mushrooms 80 gSquid 100 gTomato paste 1 tbspRed pepper flakes ½ tsp

    medium heat

  4. Add the rice and stir over medium heat for 2 minutes to coat it. Strain in the infused stock (a few lemongrass pieces on top look nice), drizzle in the coconut milk and shake the pan to level the rice. Do not stir from now on.

    Add in this stepBomba rice (or medium-grain rice, unwashed) 150 gCoconut milk 60 ml

    medium heat

  5. Cook over high heat for , then lower to medium-low heat for , laying the shrimp on top for the last 5 minutes. Coconut milk makes the bottom catch faster, so turn the heat up for only the last 30 seconds and switch off as soon as you hear crackling.

    high heat→medium-low heat

  6. Turn off the heat, cover with a kitchen towel and rest 5 minutes. Squeeze over lime juice, scatter the cilantro and sliced chili, and serve with lime wedges.

    Add in this stepLime 1Chopped cilantro 2 tbspBird's eye chilies 0.6

Cook's tip

Season with fish sauce and add the sourness with lime juice only at the end; cooking lime juice dulls its aroma. Lemongrass and lime leaves freeze well, so you can keep them on hand.

Cooking it at camp

Infuse the tom yum stock at home and carry it in a vacuum flask to cut prep time. Coconut milk burns easily, so over charcoal turn the pan often and raise it a little higher above the coals.