Paella

  • medium
  • 6
  • 60 minutes
Not yet rated

This paella recipe is a true Spanish classic, given a luxurious twist from the inclusion of langoustines, but feel free to use prawns instead. The trick to paella is to not stir it too often, or the rice will release a lot of gluten, giving it a risotto-like texture. Instead, leave it be and allow the rice absorb all of those amazing flavours.

First published in 2016

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Paella

Method

1
To begin, heat a paella dish over a medium heat and add 1 tbsp of oil. Sweat down the onions with the minced garlic until softened
2
Dice the chicken and cut the chipolatas into small chunks. Add to the pan, season with salt and fry. Once browned, add the saffron, paprika and chopped tomatoes
3
Cook until the pan is almost dry, then add the rice and give it a really good stir to coat in the tomato
4
Bring the shellfish stock to the boil and add ¾ to the rice. Stir and allow to boil rapidly for 5 minutes before turning the heat down to a gentle simmer
5
Cook without stirring (this is very important for a paella) for around 15 minutes, then add the langoustines and cook for a further 8–10 minutes, until the rice is cooked
6
If the paella begins to look dry, top it up with the remaining shellfish stock
7
While the rice is cooking, cook the clams and mussels. Heat a large saucepan with a tight fitting lid over a high heat
8
Quickly tip in the mussels with about 50ml water and replace the lid. Give the pan a good shake – the idea is to steam the mussels as quickly as possible so you need to keep the lid on and the heat high
9
After a couple of minutes, take the lid off and have a look at the mussels – if they have opened up they are ready. Strain through a fine sieve and cover with a tea towel until you need them to stop them from drying out
10
Repeat the exact same process with the clams. I removed the clams from their shells to fit everything in the paella dish, but you can leave them in if you prefer for presentation
11
When the rice and langoustines are cooked, top with the mussels and clams and sprinkle over a handful of chopped parsley

After a five-year stint in the kitchen at two Michelin-starred restaurant The Ledbury, Sally is now head chef at The Harwood Arms in London.

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