A colorful rice dish bursting with prawns, chicken, chorizo and saffron for tons of flavor. You don’t need much else to serve alongside it, maybe just a side of greens, crusty bread and a glass of chilled Spanish rose wine.
Ingredients (Serves 6-8 people)
1 - 2 tbsp olive oil
1 brown onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 capsicums, diced
¼ cups parsley, chopped
200g cured chorizo, sliced
200g squid (calamari), cut into thick rings
300g chicken thigh fillets
8 large prawns, whole (shell on)
1 1/2 cups paella rice (or risotto rice if not available)
1 tin crushed tomato
3-4 cups chicken or seafood stock/ broth
1 tsp saffron threads, infused in 1 tbsp boiled water
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add garlic, onion, carrot, celery and cook for 2 minutes. Add capsicum, cook for 1 minute. Remove and set aside.
- Sear the chorizo until brown on each side remove and set aside. sear the squid briefly, then remove and set aside.
- Add a splash of oil, cook chicken until lightly brown. Add rice and mix until the grains are coated in oil. Add in browned vegetables, parsley, ¾ of the chorizo, stock and stir in crushed tomato and saffron.
- Reduce temperature and simmer gently for 10 minutes - no stirring.
- Partly submerge the prawns into the rice and simmer gently until the liquid has been mostly absorbed (8 minutes or so). Check the rice is cooked (should be firm but cooked) – if too firm, add a splash of water and cook a bit longer.
- Remove from stove. Garnish with squid and ¼ chorizo and cover with lid to rest for 5 minutes. Serve with a sprinkle of extra parsley and wedges of lemon.
Paella is a great make-ahead meal and freezes perfectly well. Simply thaw in the fridge for 24h before reheating.