Enjoy paella with chicken and seafood

Cook time: 35-40 minutes

Ingredients

200g of Spanish paella rice such as bomba or calasparra

2 tbsp garlic infused olive oil

1 tsp pimentón de la vera dulce (smoked sweet paprika)

1g of saffron (or turmeric if you don’t have saffron)

675ml good quality fish stock (475ml if using calasparra rice)

4 small ripe tomatoes

2 medium sized shallots,

1 small bell pepper, seeded and diced into 2-3cm chunks

2 medium sized fresh chicken breasts, diced into 2-3cm chunks 200g prepared medium-sized squid, cut into 2cm thick rings

4 large raw peeled tiger prawns with the tails on 6 fresh large mussels, cleaned

40g fine green beans, top, tailed and chopped into 2cm

30g garden peas

Pinch of salt & pepper

1 roasted sweet romano red pepper, cut into quarters to garnish

1 lemon cut into wedges Kitchenware

1 paella pan or a 30cm large heavy bottom frying pan,

1 small saucepan

Score a small cross on the base of each tomato, then carefully place into a pan with boiling water, leave for 20 to 30 seconds, then remove using a slotted spoon. Drop the tomatoes into a bowl of ice cold water and leave to cool.

Remove the tomatoes then peel away the skin. Cut the tomatoes into quarters, and then roughly chop the flesh. Set the chopped tomato aside.

Place the paella pan over a medium-high heat and pour in most of the garlic infused olive oil. When hot add the shallots and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened and sweet.

Stir in the peppers and cook for 2 -3 minutes until they become slightly soft then move to the side of the pan. Add the remaining garlic olive oil then the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes until it starts to brown.

Stir in the prawns and squid, cook for 3-4 minutes until the squid is white and opaque in colour. Mix all together.

Add the diced tomatoes, mussels, almost all of the fish stock (leave 50 to 75ml back), pimentón and the saffron. Mix in the green beans and peas, once the broth is at a rolling boil and the chicken and seafood are cooked through, taste the broth to make sure you are happy with the flavour (at this point you are looking for a strong flavour of smokey paprika, fragrant saffron and a fish stock kick) – season with salt and pepper if required.

Add the paella rice, making a cross in the pan with the rice from one side to the other.

Share the rice around the pan carefully using a spoon stirring briefly or ‘tickle’ the rise to evenly distribute it into the four sections making sure the rice is even throughout the pan and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Turn the pan around and arrange the mussels in the pan, push them down slightly. From now on remember this rule…move the pan, do not stir the paella.

If you are cooking the traditional way on a gas stove, reduce the heat to medium and place the roasted red pepper quarters on top of the paella – let it cook for 15 minutes, moving the pan around from time to time until the broth has been totally absorbed by the rice. If you are cooking on an electric hob I recommend you transfer the paella to a pre-heated oven set at 180c for the final 10 minutes of cooking.

Have the remaining fish stock on hand to gently ladle over the rice if required at any point within the final 5-10 minutes of cooking. Once the broth has totally disappeared, check that the rice is al dente – cooked but with a slight bite, then turn off the heat or remove from the oven and let it rest.

A rest is so important: 15 minutes is the golden rule, however, if you have the luxury of waiting up to 45 minutes you will see a notable difference in texture and condensed taste. If you choose the 45 minute wait, make sure you cover the pan loosely with a clean kitchen towel or kitchen foil.

Great paella should have a layer of rice caramelised on the bottom of the pan together with looking compact and caramelised on top; add the lemons just before serving.

Only fluff up the paella when you are about to serve.