We love a paella in our household, easy to cook but so flavoursome and really moreish. I think paella can seem like a daunting dish, something only to have on holiday and cooked for you, but actually can make a very easy weeknight dinner and can be handy to use up bits and bobs you might have left over in the fridge! Equally, a paella works well for a dinner party after a tapas-style starter and cooks away nicely by itself whilst you entertain, bonus points because it looks really fancy when you deliver the pan to the table!
Serves 2-3 (depending on how hungry the 2 are!)
Ingredients:
1 chicken breast, cut into small chunks
120g chorizo (about 1/2 a standard supermarket ring)
1 white onion, diced
150g frozen mixed peppers
100g paella rice (or risotto rice if you can’t get hold of any paella rice)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp paprika
Pinch saffron
1 tbsp tomato puree
0.75l chicken stock
75g frozen peas
160g raw king prawns
Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 lemon, quartered into wedges
Method:
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil on a medium heat in a wide sauté pan. Make sure it has a lid that fits as you’ll need for later!
- Add the chicken and brown for around 3 mins, before adding the chorizo and continuing cooking for another 2 minutes.
- Remove the chicken and chorizo from the pan, reserving the oil in the pan and set aside in a bowl;
- Turn the heat to high and into the pan add the frozen peppers. Cook down for a couple of minutes until defrosted, before adding the onions. Continue frying for 5 mins or so until starting to colour.
- Make a hole in the centre of the vegetable mix and add a drop more oil, add in the rice and stir to coat with oil and combine with the veg;
- Add the tomato puree and then the cayenne, paprika & saffron, season with salt and pepper and fry for a minute;
- Add back in the chicken and chorizo, and then the chicken stock. Stir to combine then turn down the heat to low, pop on the lid and leave to simmer away for 25 mins.
- After 25 minutes, add the peas, prawns about two thirds of the chopped parsley, stirring to combine, then replace the lid and return to the heat for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, top with the quartered lemons and sprinkle over the remaining parsley. Serve immediately.
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