Weekly Recipe

Surf & Turf Spanish Paella

Ingredients:

400g paella rice                                                                     1 bay leaf, whole

1 whole chicken, jointed into 8 pieces                                   1 tsp. smoked paprika, heaped

10-12 large king prawns or tiger prawns                                ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper, level

½ chorizo ring (230g), skinned and cut into pieces                ½ tsp. saffron

1 large/2 small white onions, diced                                        2 chicken stock cubes

4 ripe tomatoes, cut into 8                                                     1L boiling water

50-75g peas, fresh or frozen                                                  tbsp. rapeseed oil

1 red pepper, cut into chunks                                                1 lemon, quartered

1 carrot, finely diced                                                              3 garlic cloves, 1 minced/2 crushed whole

A few sprigs curly leaf parsley, to garnish

Method:

  1. Prep all the ingredients. Cut up all the vegetables, portion the chicken and the chorizo, wash the prawns and crumble the stock cubes into a jug.

  2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Put the oil on a medium high heat in a paella dish or large shallow wok. Add the chicken and cook until the chicken has browned. Once brown and the skin is just starting to go crisp, remove from the pan and set aside.

  3. Reduce pan temperature to a medium heat. Add to the pan the onion, tomatoes, peppers and chorizo and cook for approx. 8 minutes until the chorizo starts going brown at the edges.

  4. Next, fill the kettle and boil it. Then, add the paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic, bay leaf and saffron to the pan, cook for roughly 2 minutes. Return the chicken back to the pan and add the carrot, season well. Mix 1 litre of boiling water with the stock cubes in the jug, once completely combined, add it to the pan.

  5. Let the ingredients simmer for 10 minutes. Afterwards, bring the pan to a boil and move the chicken to the side of the pan, then pour the rice into the centre of the pan and cook uncovered for another 10 minutes shaking the pan occasionally and turning the rice to stop it sticking to the bottom of the pan.

  6. Add the prawns and peas to the pan with a squeeze of lemon juice. Shake the pan so that all the rice is submerged, add more hot water if needed. Cook for a further 15-20 minutes on a simmer. Turn the prawns half way through to ensure even cooking.

  7. The rice towards the edge of the pan will take the longest to cook. To test whether the dish is cooked, try the rice from around the edge of the pan. If the rice is soft the dish is done and if it is still a little crunchy continue cooking.

  8. Remove the pan from the heat and garnish with the lemon pieces and parsley.

Toms Top Tips:  A lovely sharing starter before enjoying this wonderful continental classic is Patatas Bravas, potato wedges cooked in the oven then covered in a sauce made of tomato, onion, garlic, parsley, sweet paprika and chilli. Served with sour cream and chive dip and sliced jalapenos. Of course, you can’t have a Spanish classic without enjoying a cerveza or a glass or two of homemade sangria.