Arroz Negro - serves 4ish
| 6-8 squid, sliced | 1 red or green pepper, sliced |
| 1 large, mild onion, chopped | pudding or risotto rice |
| 4 tomatoes, skinned and chopped | 250g shell-on prawns |
| Saffron | 2 sachets squid ink (a good fishmonger will get it for you; or Garcia's in Portobello Rd, London) |
| Parsley | 2 cloves garlic |
| Olive oil | Fish stock |
| handful of frozen peas |
Peel most of the prawns and boil up the shells rapidly in the fish stock for about 15-20 mins - you'll probably want about 2.5 pints eventually. Season the stock with salt. The remaining ones with shells on are for effect so you could choose big tiger prawns if you like.
Cover bottom of a paella pan with oil and gently fry the onion for about 15 mins, moving it now and then so that it doesn't colour.
Fry the pepper in oil in a separate pan and remove.
Meanwhile, pound the garlic with some salt and the parsley in a pestle and mortar and add to the onion with the tomatoes. Cook for 5 mins or so.
Crush the saffron and soak in a ladleful of hot stock.
Add the rice and allow to heat through for a couple of mins, throwing in plenty of salt. Add some of the hot stock and the saffron, keeping the heat to medium. Cut open the sachets and squeeze in the squid ink - careful: it stains! Stir in well.
Add the peppers, prawns, squid, peas and more stock. Cook till rice is tender.