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| Chef Rob holding huge prawn |
I dont know about you, but l have eaten some pretty ordinary Paella in my time. So when l started working with our new chef, Rob, (who learned how to make Paella in Spain) l quickly conned him into showing me how. It is truly easy and l've since realised a good way to use up bits and pieces in the fridge. The other night when l made it l used a chicken thigh fillet l had not used, a piece of chorizo sausage and a few prawns from a bag l keep in the freezer. Keep in mind that l am living in a caravan, so if l can do it, so can you. Please use a heavy based pan for this.
PAELLA
1 cup arborio rice
1 spanish onion chopped
1 tab olive oil
1 red capsicum chopped
1 or 2 chicken thigh fillets or fish
1 chorizo sausage sliced
8 prawns
2 tabs smoked paprika
1 pinch saffron threads or 2 teas turmeric
2 tabs vegeta and 1 1/2 cups water hot.
2 tomatoes chopped and deseeded.
1/2 cup white wine or verjuice.
If using chicken, chop into bite size pieces and fry in oil with chorizo. Remove from pan. Add more oil to pan and add onion and fry or 4-5 mins, add capsicum fry for few minutes then add rice and stir until translucent. add spices and stir in then start adding hot stock allowing 1st 1/2 cup to be absorbed before adding remaining stock and wine. stir and then add meats or raw fish and prawns. Taste stock and adjust to taste, more vegeta or pinch salt or paprika according to your taste. Add chopped tomato and then leave on med heat but do not stir until liquid is almost absorbed then finish off in oven. This process should take about 20 mins to cook. l have also included a picture of a paella mix that l also use which takes out all the guess work with the flavouring. If you can get your hands on this use 1 1/2 tabs of this instead of the paprika and saffron and only use 1/2 the vegeta.
