Paella with Chicken and Beans

Spain's most famous dish, the paella always elicits happy childhood memories for me. On our family's annual Spanish holiday it was a staple, along with my Mother's sangria and my Father's san miguel (or "piss", as he usually referred to it). Until our recent trip to Barcelona I had considered paella an arduous dish. I had tried recipes by Gordon Ramsey and Simon Hopkinson and although they turned out great, they were time consuming and elaborate, a treat. On the plane journey to Catalunya I began to read a book that I have owned for quite awhile. "My Kitchen In Spain" by Janet Mendel is full of great Spanish recipes and techniques and it was only after reading the technique for paella that I realised how simple a dish it really is.

It actually couldn't be much simpler. Sweat the vegetables and meat in a little oil for 10 minutes. Add rice, water and saffron (or food colouring if you're on a budget) and cook for 20 minutes without stirring. Not particularly time consuming, arduous or even elaborate, the paella is now a weekly event in our house. The reason not to stir it is so a crust can develop on the bottom of the pan. It should be crispy but not burnt. With this in mind, finding the exact temperature to cook it at can take a few attempts. The meats of choice in Barcelona were chicken, rabbit and pork (the meat was always on the bone) but you can, of course, use any combination of meat or fish that you like. I have gone with pancetta and chicken here.

Serves 2

Pinch of Saffron
2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Onion (finely chopped)
100g Green Beans (chopped)
1/2 Red Pepper (chopped)
75g Pancetta or Streaky Bacon (chopped)
1 Chicken Leg (chopped into 3-4 cm chunks)
1/4 tsp Hot Paprika
150g Paella Rice
300ml Chicken Stock or Water (hot)
1/2 tin of Butter Beans
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Put a few tablespoons of warm water in a bowl and add the saffron. Set aside to infuse.

2. Heat the oil in a paella or frying pan and add the onion, green beans, red pepper and pancetta. Season and cook for 3 minutes before adding the chicken. Cook for 5 minutes, add the paprika and cook for 2-3 minutes more.

3. Add the paella rice and stir for a minute before adding the stock, saffron water (including the saffron strands) and butter beans. Season, stir well, bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes without stirring. Serve hot.

Paella

World Cup, Day 2 - Spain

Paella

The World Cup started with a bang last night! Brazil scraped a win amid lots of controversy but that's par for the course at a competition like this. The Brazilian shrimp stew worked a treat last night and tonight's dinner was just as good! Paella is one of my favourite dishes to cook and eat. I love the mix of saffron-infused rice with seafood and the added little kick from the smoked paprika. Paella is a great recipe when cooking for a crowd as it's relatively quick and isn't too difficult. This is my take on the Spanish classic: it may not win prizes for authenticity but it's how I like it. I normally use squid too but I couldn't get any fresh today. Try to use a large pan, as you can see, mine got quite crowded!

Serves 6 - 8

6 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion (finely chopped)
6 cloves of Garlic (2 finely chopped, 4 with skins on and crushed lightly with the back of a knife)
1 Red/Orange Pepper (finely chopped)
1 Chilli (finely chopped)
35g Chorizo (finely chopped)
35g Salami (finely chopped)
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
200g Leftover Cooked Chicken (shredded)
500g Paella Rice
150ml Dry White Wine
1 litre of Chicken Stock
pinch of Saffron
1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes
500g Crevettes/Prawns
500g Mussels (soaked and de-bearded)
300g Frozen Peas
handful of fresh Flat Leaf Parsley (finely chopped)
juice of 1/2 Lemon
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Heat 4 tbsp of the oil over a medium heat and add the onion, finely chopped garlic, peppers, chilli, chorizo, salami and smoked paprika. Saute for 7-10 minutes until softened before adding the cooked chicken. Season well and cook for 4-5 minutes before adding the rice. Stir well to coat the rice and then add the wine. Cook for 5 minutes to burn off the alcohol and add the chicken stock. Bring to the boil and stir in the saffron and chopped tomatoes. Season, stir and leave to cook for 15 minutes until the rice is cooked.

2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil over a high heat and add the crushed garlic. Add the crevettes and lemon juice and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until cooked. Season and set aside.

3. Place the mussels and peas on top of the rice mixture and cover with foil. Cook for 4-5 minutes until mussels are opened. Throw away any that remain closed. Remove the paella from the heat and lay the cooked crevettes on top. Cover again and let it rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.