It’s a paella party! Whip up this one-pot Spanish sensation

You can easily cook up this scrummy Spanish dish starring seafood, saffron and sausage

CLASSIC PAELLA

Preparation time 20 mins Cooking time 40 mins Serves 4

Large pinch saffron threads

/ cup boiling water

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

500g chicken thigh fillets,

coarsely chopped

2 chorizo, thinly sliced

1 large red onion, finely chopped

1 red capsicum, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 /† tsp smoked paprika

2 large ripe tomatoes, finely chopped 1 /† cups Calasparra rice or arborio

rice (see Cook’s tips, below right) 3 cups chicken stock

Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground

black pepper, to season

/† cup frozen peas

500g uncooked medium king prawns,

shelled, deveined, tails on 500g pipis, cleaned

2 Tbsp flat-leaf parsley leaves,

to garnish

Lemon wedges and aioli, to serve Sangria (see Cook’s tips, right),

to serve

STEP 1 Put saffron and boiling water in a small bowl. Stand for 15 minutes. STEP 2 Meanwhile, heat oil in a paella pan or large heavy-based frying pan.

Add chicken and cook until browned all over. Remove from pan. Add chorizo to same pan and cook until browned on both sides. Drain on paper towel.

STEP 3 Add onion, capsicum, garlic and paprika to same pan and cook, stirring, until so€. Stir in tomatoes. Add rice and stir to coat in mixture.

STEP 4 Return chicken and chorizo to pan, add stock and saffron mixture, then stir until combined. Season to taste. Bring to the boil and simmer, uncovered, for 15-18 minutes, or until the rice is almost tender, not stirring.

STEP 5 Sprinkle peas over rice.

Put prawns and pipis over paella. Cover pan with large sheets of foil and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes, or until prawns are cooked through and pipis have opened. Sca†er with parsley and serve immediately with lemon wedges, aioli and sangria.

What goes with paella? Sangria, of course. Enjoy both at lunch and then a siesta for the full Spanish experience!