Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! To mark the occasion I will tell you about my recipe for Guinness Fideuà Negra. This is a follow-up to my first Guinness Paella Negra (the one with the squid ink) that I created in 2023 at Savour Academy.
What’s the story with putting Guinness in a paella?
Ok it might sound strange, but it works! A few years back, just before Paddy’s Day, I was considering how I’d like to translate my being Irish – into my paella cooking. I started looking up recipes for Guinness in paella to discover that there were none available!
Then it came to me, the best way to fuse the hearty stout flavour was to combine it with the heavy mouthfeel of a squid ink paella. This year I decided to mix it up, especially for Fideuà Friday!
The results speak for themselves, but if you need to see it in action, check out my reels on TikTok or Instagram.
What does Fideuà or Paella Negra taste like?
The recipe for fideuà and paella are essentially the same, except that the paella rice is swapped for short-haired noodles. Whereas I prefer to cook the rice with sofrito in a paella, for fideuà the noodles should be browned first in hot oil before adding the sofrito, so that they crisp up and don’t go soggy.
The Fideuà or Paella Negra taste is like a very savoury seafood dish, but the flavour should be balanced. This is why stout compliments the dish – adding a special umami depth.
If you’ve tried cooking with Guinness in other recipes, you’ll understand what I mean!
How do I add Guinness when cooking?
If you’re using Guinness in my recipe for paella or fideuà, I recommend opening the bottle a little beforehand, so it isn’t very gassy. I incorporate the beer by deglazing each stage of the sofrito cooking with a splash of stout (more on sofrito in paella here).
The same goes for browning the proteins (in this case the seafood), meaning that I’ll deglaze the paella pan with Guinness also.
Finally, I add a little nip of the black stuff (and also the squid ink!) to the stock.
What other recipes have Guinness?
There are many recipes online using Guinness, such as the traditional Irish stew (a staple meal for St. Patrick’s Day!) or Steak and Guinness pie.
I have used Guinness in Irish soda bread (wheaten bread) and even in gravy. It certainly elevates savoury elements of the dish, sometimes bringing a nutty sweetness.
Wishing you a very Happy Saint Patrick’s Day everyone. Be sure to check out my classes here and I hope to see you soon at Savour Academy!
