Cheat's Paella
Recipe by Antony Worrall Thompson
Bring a taste of Spain to your table with this glorious Paella. Made for communal eating, it's ideal to serve at family gatherings and parties. The authentic dish takes several hours to make but Antony's version cooks in a fraction of the time.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 90g/ 3 oz chorizo, cut into 5mm thick slices
- 4 skinned chicken thighs, each cut in half
- ½ large Spanish onion, finely diced
- ½ tsp soft thyme leaves
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- ¼ tsp dried red chilli flakes
- ½ red pepper, diced
- 225g/ 8 oz Calasparra rice
- 600ml/ 1 pint 2 oz hot chicken stock
- ½ tsp saffron strands
- 1½ bay leaves
- ½ tsp paprika
- 65ml dry white wine
- ½ tbsp lemon juice
- 60g/ 2½ oz frozen peas, thawed
- 10 -15 large cooked prawns
- 30g/ 1 oz unsalted butter
- 2 large tomatoes, deseeded and diced
- 2 ½ tbsp chopped flat-leafed parsley
- Grated rind of ½ lemon
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Method
- In a very large, deep pan, heat the olive oil and quarters of the garlic, the chilli flakes and the red pepper and cook over a medium heat for 8 minutes, or until the onion has softened without colouring. Add the chicken and chorizo.
- Add the rice, bay leaves and paprika to the pan stir to coat the rice in the oil. Add the hot stock and saffron and cook, stirring continuously for 2 minutes. Stir in the white wine and lemon juice, cover in damp greaseproof paper and cook gently over a low heat for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove paper, stir in peas, prawns, butter, tomatoes, parsley and grated lemon rind.
- Season to taste. Serve.
