Paella is easy entertaining for a larger crowd. Our version boasts a host of different meats, which are seasoned to perfection and delicious with creamy risotto rice. This filling dish is incredibly easy to make and full of robust flavours.
Paella
Ingredients
- 1,2L chicken stock
- 5ml (1 tsp) saffron
- 125ml (½ cup) olive oil
- 175g chorizo, sliced
- 250g bacon, cubed
- 12 prawns, deveined
- 400g calamari tubes
- 24 mussels, bearded
- 8 chicken thighs, skin removed and halved
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 red pepper, finely diced
- 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 2,5ml (½ tsp) chilli flakes
- 600ml risotto rice (Arborio)
- 5ml (1 tsp) paprika
- 125ml (½ cup) dry white wine
- 1 x 410g tin whole peeled tomatoes
- salt and freshly ground black
- pepper, to taste
- 100g frozen peas
- a handful of fresh flat-leaf
- parsley, chopped
- fresh lime wedges, to serve
Instructions
Place the chicken stock and saffron in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer.
Heat a splash of the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the chorizo and bacon and fry until crispy. Remove and set aside.
Sauté the prawns, calamari and mussels in the same oil and set aside. Discard any mussels that have not opened.
Sauté the chicken pieces in the same frying pan until golden. Remove and set aside with chorizo and bacon.
Add half of the remaining oil to the frying pan and gently fry the garlic, onion and pepper until soft but transparent, about 1 – 2 minutes.
Add the thyme, chilli flakes and rice and stir to coat the rice grains in oil, about 5 minutes.
Add the paprika and wine and simmer until reduced, stirring throughout. Add half of the warm stock, chorizo, bacon, chicken pieces and calamari and cook for 15 minutes on low heat. Stir occasionally, adding more stock if the mixture becomes dry.
Chop the tomatoes into cubes, retaining the sauce. Add the cubed tomatoes and sauce to the rice mixture. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat.
Place the peas and prawns on top of the paella. Season, sprinkle with parsley and stir through once. Serve with lime wedges.
Notes
To drink: A quaffable white blend is great for entertaining and well suited to both chicken and fish.
