Easy Paella
Paella is an ideal dish to cook when feeding a large number of people. Each region in Spain has its own variation depending on what ingredients are nearby. For me the “must haves” in paella are chicken, spicy chorizo, garlic, tomato and the correct rice. The rest are optional!
6-8
Serves:Ingredients
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4-5 chicken thighs, cut into smallish pieces
2 large onions, diced
8 cloves garlic, minced
3 ripe tomatoes, grated to a mush
3 chorizo sausage, sliced
3½ cups Calasparra rice (approx ½ cup per person)
2L vegetable or chicken stock, warmed if you can be bothered, I can’t!
½ teaspoon saffron threads, soaked in 1 tablespoon warm water
12 cockles, mussels, clams or pipi in their shells
12 prawns, in shells
Salt and pepper
Lemon wedges and parsley to garnish
4-5 chicken thighs, cut into smallish pieces
2 large onions, diced
8 cloves garlic, minced
3 ripe tomatoes, grated to a mush
3 chorizo sausage, sliced
3½ cups Calasparra rice (approx ½ cup per person)
2L vegetable or chicken stock, warmed if you can be bothered, I can’t!
½ teaspoon saffron threads, soaked in 1 tablespoon warm water
12 cockles, mussels, clams or pipi in their shells
12 prawns, in shells
Salt and pepper
Lemon wedges and parsley to garnish
Method
Use a paella pan if you have one. If not, use your largest pan or pot, hopefully that is not too deep.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in the pan. Add the chicken and cook for a few minutes until it begins to go golden. Remove and set aside. Add the remaining olive oil, garlic, onions and tomatoes to the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes. Now add the rice and stir to coat in the mixture. Season well with salt and freshly ground pepper and sauté for 10-15 minutes.
Add the sliced chorizo and browned chicken into the pan. Add the saffron in its water. Add enough of the stock so that it almost covers the rice. Stir to blend and then don’t stir again. Unlike risotto, paella is cooked without stirring as we want the rice grains to be almost loose and separate and stirring promotes a creaminess as the starch is released and we’re not wanting that here.
Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer gently for about 20 minutes until the rice is cooked and nearly all of the stock absorbed. If it is looking too dry and the rice is still not cooked through, sneak in some boiling water by pouring it around the sides of the pan.
About 5 minutes from the end of cooking, add the shell fish and prawns in their shells. Taste it at this stage and consider whether you need to add more salt or pepper. Continue to cook until the shells open and the prawns are cooked, about 3-5 minutes. Gently stir the ingredients around a little.
Bring the paella pan to the table. Scatter with lots of chopped parsley and lemon wedges and serve directly from the pan. NB: If any of your shellfish don’t open during the cooking, throw them away as they may be trouble!
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in the pan. Add the chicken and cook for a few minutes until it begins to go golden. Remove and set aside. Add the remaining olive oil, garlic, onions and tomatoes to the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes. Now add the rice and stir to coat in the mixture. Season well with salt and freshly ground pepper and sauté for 10-15 minutes.
Add the sliced chorizo and browned chicken into the pan. Add the saffron in its water. Add enough of the stock so that it almost covers the rice. Stir to blend and then don’t stir again. Unlike risotto, paella is cooked without stirring as we want the rice grains to be almost loose and separate and stirring promotes a creaminess as the starch is released and we’re not wanting that here.
Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer gently for about 20 minutes until the rice is cooked and nearly all of the stock absorbed. If it is looking too dry and the rice is still not cooked through, sneak in some boiling water by pouring it around the sides of the pan.
About 5 minutes from the end of cooking, add the shell fish and prawns in their shells. Taste it at this stage and consider whether you need to add more salt or pepper. Continue to cook until the shells open and the prawns are cooked, about 3-5 minutes. Gently stir the ingredients around a little.
Bring the paella pan to the table. Scatter with lots of chopped parsley and lemon wedges and serve directly from the pan. NB: If any of your shellfish don’t open during the cooking, throw them away as they may be trouble!
