A classic Spanish dish.

Ingredients

  • 1 chicken (remove and chop all meat from the bone, you could just use chicken breasts, but the legs add flavour)
  • 1 rabbit (remove and chop all the meat from the bone)
  • 12 large shrimp (about 3 per person)
  • 1 kg long grain rice
  • 1 clove garlic (crushed)
  • 50ml white wine
  • 2 pinch saffron strands
  • 150 g lima beans
  • 150 g frozen peas
  • 2 l chicken stock
  • 2-3 ripe plum tomatoes (chopped)
  • 1 red pepper (chopped)
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • olive oil
  • chopped coriander
  • chopped flat leaf parsley

Method

  • Begin cooking by bring the wine to the boil in a small pot and adding the saffron strands. Set this to one side until required.
  • Heat the pan over a medium heat and cover the base of the pan with olive oil. Add the chicken and rabbit meat to the pan along with the lima beans and a little salt, pepper and paprika.
  • Turn the meat in the pan for a few minutes but try to avoid browning the meat. Now add freshly chopped tomatoes and pepper and continue to cook, turning all the time, for 4-5 minutes.
  • Add the crushed garlic along with the white wine and saffron mix followed quickly by chicken stock ensuring that all the ingredients are covered. Allow this to cook over a moderate heat for about 20 minutes.
  • Now add the rice and prawns, mixing it through well. Ensure the rice is covered in stock, adding more if necessary.
  • Bring this to the boil and continue to simmer for a further 10 minutes before adding the peas and cooking for another 10 minutes.
  • Remove from the heat and cover with foil allowing to stand for 10 minutes. Now add the chopped parsley and coriander.
  • Serve in the centre of the table with a large spoon and The Gypsy Kings playing in the background. Fantastic, bring on the summer.

Notes

The most important element you need when cooking Paella is the pan. Having a Paella Pan is not essential there are some very similar pans available. Ideally you are looking for a pan that is totally level across the base of the pan, ensuring there are no rises in the centre as you would get from the constant heating of an older pan. The more people you are cooking for the broader the base of the pan needs to be, it should also have a fairly shallow rim to it. Paella pans all have a handle on each side but this is not essential and is generally to make taking the pan off the fire, the traditional way to cook, easier.