Paella with chicken and prawns
If you are cooking a paella for two people, a large frying pan will do well. If, however, you fancy cooking a paella for four, six, or even 12 people, it is necessary to buy the right-sized pan. We like the black enamel paella pans with white spots we buy from The Paella Company, who will also give good advice on what size pan to use.
If you want to cook the paella outdoors, our tips are as follows: get to the point where you have prepared in the pan your softened base of onion, peppers and garlic and mixed it with the rice in the comfort of your kitchen. Then cover it with foil (you can re-use the foil at the end of cooking), take with you a bottle of white wine or sherry (which you can also drink with the paella), a tub or Thermos of stock (preferably hot) and a parcel of the prepared meat.
Ingredients
Serves 18 as a starter, 12 as a main course
900g North Atlantic prawns, preferably in their shells
3 litres light chicken stock
¼ tsp crumbled saffron threads
225ml olive oil
1kg boned and skinned chicken, cut into 2cm cubes
4½ large Spanish onions, finely chopped
12 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 green peppers, halved, seeded and finely chopped
450g runner beans or green beans, cut into 3cm pieces
6 dried ñoras peppers, seeds and stalks removed, broken into small pieces and covered with boiling water. If you can’t find ñoras peppers, use 3 tsp of sweet paprika
750g calasparra (paella) rice
225ml white wine
Sea salt and black pepper
To serve:
6 tbsp roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 lemons, cut into wedges
? Peel the prawns by first breaking off the head, then peeling off the middle part of the shell and finally pulling off the tail. Then put in the fridge. Transfer the shells to a large saucepan over a high heat and add the chicken stock. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes for the seafood flavour to infuse the stock. Remove from the heat, strain the stock and add the saffron. Set aside.
? Heat 6 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 50-55cm paella pan or frying pan over a medium-to-high heat. When the oil is hot and just beginning to smoke add the pieces of chicken and stir-fry for about 2 minutes until sealed on all sides but fractionally undercooked in the centre. With a slotted spoon remove the chicken and put to one side. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and, when it is hot, the onion and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, then lower the heat to medium and cook for another 10-15 minutes, stirring every so often. Now add the chopped garlic, beans and ñoras peppers (or paprika), and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the garlic and onions have some colour and are sweet. Add the rice to the pan and stir for 1 minute to coat with the vegetables and oil. (Up to this point everything can be cooked in advance. The next stage should be started about 20 minutes before you wish to eat.)
? When you are ready to cook the rice, bring the stock to the boil. Remove and keep aside. Place the paella pan over a medium-to-high heat and add the wine followed by the hot stock, and season perfectly with salt and pepper. Do not stir the rice after this as it affects the channels of stock, which allow the rice to cook evenly. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until there is just a little liquid above the rice. Spread the pieces of chicken evenly over the rice and push each piece under the stock. Gently shake the pan to prevent sticking and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 5 more minutes or until there is just a little liquid left at the bottom of the rice. Sprinkle the prawns on top, turn off the heat and cover the pan tightly with foil. Let the rice sit for 3-5 minutes before serving with the chopped parsley on top and the lemon on the side. We would eat this with a cold glass of fino or manzanilla sherry.
Sam and Samantha Clark run Moro and its sister restaurant Morito together.
Moro, 34-36 Exmouth Market, London, EC1R 4QE, 020 7833 8336, www.moro.co.uk
paella Recipes with Bill & Sheila
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