One-pot paella
James Tanner gets us in the holiday mood with an easy paella, replacing traditional rabbit, mussels and clams with chicken and prawns.
Serves: 6
Ingredients
Olive oil2 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, chopped½ Spanish onion, finely diced2 x diced cloves of garlic½ x tsp chilli flake1x tsp of paprika6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into large chunks1/2 red pepper, deseeded and chopped into 2cm squares1/2 yellow pepper, deseeded and chopped into 2cm squares350g short grain rice, (ideally Calasparra)125ml dry white wine1 litre hot chicken stock infused with two pinches of saffron strands or a pinch of turmeric16 large prawns2 large tomatoes, deseeded and diced100g frozen garden peasSalt and freshly ground black pepper1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsleyGood knob of butter (optional)
Method
Heat a splash of olive oil in a large pan set over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy then add the onion and garlic, soften for a couple of minutes.
Add the chilli flakes, paprika, chicken and peppers. Stir for around for 2 more minutes. Next add the rice and wine, coat in the hot mixture and simmer.
Add the hot stock, bring to the boil, stir the contents of the pan, then leave to cook over medium heat until the rice is almost tender, but still has some crunch (around 15 minutes).
Add the prawns, tomatoes, and peas and cover the pan with a lid and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, until the rice is tender and the prawns are cooked through. Check the seasoning and stir in the butter and chopped herbs, season and serve.