PAELLA

Paella is a Spanish rice dish that includes different combinations of vegetables and meats, characteristically seasoned with saffron, but also has other spices depending on the recipe and area in Spain it comes from. There are as many variations of paella as there are cooks, with many claiming that their recipe is the best tasting or most authentic. Valencia in Eastern Spain is the undisputed home of paella. It is one of the largest natural ports in the Mediterranean and has been of the most important rice-producing areas in Spain since rice was introduced by the Moors over 1200 years ago. In fact, the Spanish word for rice is ‘arroz’, which is derived from Arabic, not Latin like most of Castilian Spanish. Paella or to be more exact la paella is the name for cooking pan itself and not the dish. The word comes from old Valencian and probably has its roots in the Latin patella meaning pan.

Serves 5
50 minutes
543 kcal per serving


Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
• 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 15 g flat-leaf parsley, stalks finely chopped and leafs chopped
• 70 g chorizo, roughly chopped
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, roughly chopped
• Olive oil
• 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 cube chicken stock
• 1 large pinch of saffron
• 300 g paella rice
• 100 g frozen peas
• 200 g frozen peeled cooked prawns
• 1 lemon

Method

1. Put a lug of oil into a large lidded shallow casserole or paella pan on a medium heat.
2. Add the garlic, onioin, parsley stalks, chorizo, chicken and paprika and fry for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
3. Add the red pepper and fry for another 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the tomato purée and crumble in the stock cube, then add the rice and stir for a couple of minutes so it starts to suck up all the flavours.
5. Pour in 750 ml of boiling water, then add a pinch of salt, pepper and saffron.
6. Pop the lid on and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.
7. Stir in the peas and prawns, replace the lid, and cook for another 5 minutes.
8. Season if needed, then add the chopped parsley leaves and serve with lemon wedges.