Arroz con lubina | Spanish Rice with Sea Bass

Pat the sea bass fillets dry with a paper towel, cut them into generous pieces, and season with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat half of the olive oil in a deep frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the fish pieces for 1-2 minutes on each side, just enough to get some color, then transfer them to a plate and set aside.

Finely chop the yellow onion and garlic, and dice the red bell pepper into medium cubes. In the same pan, add the remaining olive oil and sauté the onion and pepper over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, until softened and sweet. Add the minced garlic and sweet paprika powder, stirring constantly for 30 seconds to release all the aromas.

Pour the tomato passata into the pan and cook the sauce for 2 minutes. Add the round grain rice and mix well with the vegetables for 1 minute, so that each grain is coated in the pan's flavors. Dissolve the saffron threads in the warm vegetable stock, then pour the golden liquid over the rice and season with salt to taste.