"You don’t need a specific paella pan for this, but it is nice to own one, especially if serving this al fresco; the joy on everyone’s face when you carry it out is so wonderful. It’s great for a weekend lunch and entertaining, as it’s not too much work. This recipe is easily adaptable too; swap out the seafood and chicken for green beans, extra tomatoes and mushrooms to go veggie."
Paella
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- Recipe Card
Prep time: 15mins
Cook time: 45mins
Serves or Makes: 4
Recipe Card
ingredients
- 5 tbsp sunflower oil
- 4 chicken thighs, skinless boneless
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
- 1 medium onions, finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 1/2 liters vegetable or chicken stock
- 1/2 teaspoon saffron strands
- 350 gram paella rice
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 12 small clams, cleaned
- 12 mussels, cleaned and debearded
- 100 gram frozen peas
- 1 large tomato, cut into small dice
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
- 12 large prawns, devained
- 1 medium squid, cleaned and sliced into rings
- 4 langoustine, optional
- 5 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
- pinch of flaked sea salt
- grind of black pepper
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Method
Step 1
Add a tablespoon of sunflower oil to a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the chicken thighs and leave them to brown for 3 minutes on each side, put to one side, and cover with foil to keep warm.
Step 2
Next, heat two tablespoons of oil in a paella or large frying pan over medium heat. Add the chorizo and fry until the oils are starting to release, then add the garlic, onion and pepper to cook until softened. Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a saucepan and add the saffron into it. Mix well. Now add the paella rice to the paella pan and stir quickly until all the grains are completely coated and glossy. Add the paprika and pour in the hot saffron chicken stock. Wedge the chicken thighs deeply in the rice with just the tops showing.
Step 3
Over the next 15 minutes, add extra water, 100ml at a time, as the rice starts to absorb the stock. Be careful not to add too much though, and stay with it, as you don’t want the bottom layer to catch and burn or the rice to dry out. Add the clams, mussels, peas and chopped tomato, then continue to cook the gently bubbling paella for another 10 to 15 minutes while it continues to absorb liquid.
Step 4
Clean and dry your chicken pan, heat one tablespoon of oil and then add half the garlic. Once it has started to brown, add the prawns two or three at a time so you don’t overcrowd the pan. Cook on both sides until all the prawns are done, adding a little more oil if needed. Place on a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb excess grease, then add the prawns to your paella.
Step 5
Clean and dry the pan again, place on a medium heat and add the last tablespoon of oil. When the oil is really bubbling, add the remaining garlic and then the squid rings. Give them 10 seconds in the pan to get some colour, turning to cook both sides, then evenly distribute the squid in the paella. Finally, add the langoustines (if using) to the frying pan and allow the heat to cook them on all sides for 1 minute. Carefully transfer them into the paella.
Step 6
Scatter the chopped parsley over the paella, season with salt and pepper then serve immediately with lots of lemon wedges and aioli.