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Seafood Paella
Seafood Paella
ekmai


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Recipe (Food) IV (Advanced Editing VII)
Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) for Nikon
Location: Kitchen
Date: Jul 27, 2011
Aperture: f6.3
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/20th
Galleries: Food and Drink, DPChallenge GTGs
Date Uploaded: Jul 27, 2011

 Ingredients
4oz chorizo, cut into thin slices
4oz pancetta, cut into small dice
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, diced
1 tsp soft thyme leaves
1/4 tsp dried red chilli flakes
3 cups short-grain rice (Spanish preferably)
1 tsp paprika
Glass of dry white wine
2 pints chicken stock, heated with 1/4 tsp saffron strands
1 large crab chopped and shell cracked
About 2 dozen clams, cleaned
12 raw prawns, in shells, but deveined
1lb squid, cleaned and chopped into rings
1lb fish fillets cut into bite-sized pieces, (firm meat that holds together when cooked)
4 large tomatoes, de-seeded and diced
About a dozen black olives
2 spring onions finely chopped
Cup of good olive oil
1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled
Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tbs capers
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Method
Heat half the olive oil in a paella dish or heavy frying pan. Add the chorizo and pancetta and fry until crisp. Add the garlic, onion and pepper and heat until softened. Add the thyme, chilli flakes and calasparra rice, and stir until all the grains of rice are nicely coated and glossy. Now add the paprika and dry white wine and when it is bubbling, pour in the hot chicken stock and cook for 5-10 minutes on a medium heat with a lid on.
Place the clams into the dish with the join facing down so that the edges open outwards, and place the crab and fish around the pan. Sprinkle in the olives, peas and chopped tomatoes and continue to cook gently covered for another 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil with the garlic cloves in a separate pan and add the prawns. Fry quickly for a minute or two then add them to the paella. Now do the same with the squid and add them to the paella too. Allow to cook gently for another 3-4 minutes.
Scatter the chopped cilantro, spring onions, and capers over the paella and serve with lemon wedges.

Statistics
Place: 7 out of 41
Avg (all users): 6.4167
Avg (commenters): 7.2667
Avg (participants): 6.8400
Avg (non-participants): 6.3178
Views since voting: 1507
Views during voting: 283
Votes: 132
Comments: 22
Favorites: 1 (view)

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AuthorThread
 08/04/2011 09:49:53 PM
Yum!!!

Any left overs? Some cold Riesling would sprinkle well this down the throat

Congratulations on the top 10.

Message edited by author 2011-08-05 01:51:40.
 08/04/2011 09:28:56 PM
A big thank you for all your comments and votes. The full table setting and light background was to give the mood of a big family dinner in the Mediterranean, but agree a closer crop would have focused viewers attention.
 08/04/2011 08:11:37 PM
Congrats on the Top 10 finish!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
08/03/2011 05:41:55 AM
Hate clams, but you make it look good. For my taste (no pun intended) there's a little too much in this picture that detracts from the dish...like the wine which I'd rather have!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/02/2011 07:23:06 PM
Try cropping just above the first white tray in the background. To me that gives more focus on the paella.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/02/2011 01:31:50 PM
Excellent use of dof. The entire featured dish is in the focus field while the rest of the scene set up is out of the focus field yet still discernable for the scene.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/02/2011 01:04:22 PM
This looks really good!!! and the presentation is good magazine quality!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/02/2011 10:42:38 AM
What a gorgeous, gorgeous dish and so beautifully presented! I think, though, that the background is too busy and sadly detracts from the seafood. I would have liked a closer crop.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/01/2011 08:03:38 AM
Straight out of a cookbook or magazine. Nicely done!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/31/2011 03:06:43 PM
yummmmmooooooo
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/31/2011 02:48:29 PM
looks as though it is right out of a cookbook - fantastic...bokeh in the right places - focused on the dish
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/31/2011 06:59:10 AM
Great arrangement of seafood in the bowl of paella. Very artfully done to make it look visually appealing as well as tasty. You have also made the dish warm and inviting by including a welcoming sit down table setting. I get the strong feeling I am your guest who is being welcomed to dinner with this fabulous feast. Well done I can see this being in the top 5 easily.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/29/2011 11:53:30 AM
I love the angles of the shells to the fish and the oven mitt stripes. I also love the earthy food and bowl, with the elegant table setting with wine.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/29/2011 09:49:38 AM
Beautiful dish, great set up, my only issue is the flatness of the light in the bowl. I wish you had a bit more contrast and highlights in the bowl to give sparkle and pop. Never the less best of the batch so far
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/29/2011 08:01:48 AM
Love this, more bowl and table or closer to subject and dof 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/29/2011 05:29:16 AM
I've only eaten it once - in Mexico City of all places. YUM GOOD STUFF!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/29/2011 04:22:45 AM
Looks good. Great exposure. As far as composition... your inclusion of the table at the top of the frame and having that area be the brightest spot in the photo leads my eye away from the subject into your blurred background. I would suggest get in closer to the subject and lose the background.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/29/2011 03:05:55 AM
This is in my top three. The meal looks very inviting. Aimee wanted to sit down right now and eat it. There is a slight tilt to the image that is odd but this is a standout none the less. Bumping up.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/29/2011 12:18:30 AM
very "stocky" in a positive way. had corrected or pushed the tilt, though
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/28/2011 08:55:32 PM
That looks magnificent! Wish I was there! 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/28/2011 08:46:09 PM
This is the neatest Seafood Paella I've ever seen!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/28/2011 08:32:54 PM
My top pick.
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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