Arroz a la banda (saffron rice and squid with allioli)

Ingredients

For the fish stock
4 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, sliced, no need to peel
large pinch of dried chilli flakes
2 strips of pared orange zest
1 onion, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced, no need to remove the seeds
1 fennel bulb, sliced
675g/1½lb cheap, but well-flavoured small fish, such as gurnard, cleaned but left whole; or steaks or fillets such as ling and pollack, cut into slightly smaller pieces
2 tomatoes, sliced
1.5 litres/2½ pints water
small handful of oregano leaves
large pinch of saffron strands
For the rice
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1½ tsp paprika
large pinch of smoked paprika, preferably La Chinata (optional)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
500g/1lb2oz paella rice or risotto rice
For the allioli
25g/1oz garlic, finely chopped
85nl/3fl oz extra virgin olive oil
For the squid
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 good pinches of paprika
450g/1 lb cleaned squid, cut accross into rings and the tentacles cut into 7.5cm/3 inch pieces
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. To make the fish stock to flavour the rice, heat the olive oil in a a large pan. Add the garlic, chilli flakes and orange zest and fry until the garlic is just beginning to colour.
2. Add the onion, red pepper and fennel and fry until soft.
3. Add the fish and tomatoes and continue to fry for about five minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the water and oregano and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes, then strain the stock. Add the saffron and half a teaspoon of salt, set aside and keep hot.
5. For the rice, heat the oil in a shallow pan or casserole, in which you can serve the dish. Add the paprikas and the garlic. as soon as the garlic starts to colour, add the rice and stir-fry for about two minutes.
6. Add the hot stock. one teaspoon of salt and some black pepper and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat a little and cook, uncovered, without stirring for eight minutes.
7. Reduce the heat right down to low and cook for a further seven minutes, again without stirring. Test the rice - it should still have a slight bite to it.
8. Remove the pan from the heat, cover and leave for five minutes. When you take the lid off, the rice should look marvellous - each grain separate and the top an appetising yellow-brown with flecks of saffron.
9. While the rice is cooking, you should make the allioli. Pound the garlic and half a teaspoon of salt with a pestle and mortar, then mix the oil in a little at a time to build up an emulsion. transfer to a small bowl.
10. To cook the squid, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Toss in a pinch of paprika and half the squid and fry over a high heat for two minutes, until lightly coloured.
11. Season with salt, remove and repeat with the remaining squid.
12. Serve the rice with the stir-fried squid and allioli (treat the allioil like mustard, about one teaspoon per person is all you will need as it is exceptionally pungent).