Paella Valenciana

A dish with Spanish origins combining the seafood and chorizo with the smoky flavours infused from cooking process over an open fire.

Ingredients

• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 2 Garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 cups of rice (Arborio type)
• 1 litre of chicken stock

• 1 green capsicum, finely sliced
• 1 tin of cherry tomatoes, drained
• 1 cup of peas
• 1 handful of French Beans
• 4/6 pieces of chicken

• 1 Chorizo sausage sliced
• Selection of seafood: mussels, prawns
• 1 pinch of Saffron + ½ cup of boiling water
• Olive Oil

Directions

Step 1

Fry the Chorizo sausage in a hot frying pan. At this point the aim is to put some colour on the sausage, not to cook it through. Once the sausage is browned, take it out of the pan and put it aside.

Step 2

Next, using the same frying pan (add a little olive oil if necessary), add the chicken pieces. Cook the pieces of chicken until lightly brown. Again, we are not trying to cook them all the way through at this point, just give them some colour. Once done, remove them from the pan and put them aside.

Step 3

Prepare the Saffron: Place a pinch of Saffron in a bowl and cover with the ½ cup of boiling water. This will help to release the flavours of the saffron.

Step 4

In a paella pan, put 1 tbsp olive oil, cook the crushed garlic and onion until softened.

Step 5

Add the rice. Saute the rice until translucent.

Step 6

Add part of the stock (2 ½ cups) as well as the prepared Saffron including the liquid.

Bring the stock up to a simmer and allow the rice to start absorbing the liquid.

Step 7

Once about half of the liquid has been absorbed, add the chicken pieces, the sliced capsicum and the chorizo sausage.

Step 8

Place the paella pan on the open fire. When the rice has had chance to stock is almost absorbed by the rice, add another cup of stock to make sure the fluid level is maintained.

Step 9

After a few minutes add the tomatoes to the paella. Add another cup of Chicken stock if needed. When the paella is almost cooked, add the Peas and French beans.

Step 10

Add the seafood to the paella. Alow to cook for a few minutes making sure to stir regularly.

Step 11

Remove from the fire when the last of the stock has been absorbed and the rice is properly cooked. Arange the sea food nicely and serve with lemon wedges.

Of course cooking over an open fire is optional. If you do not have access to an open fire, simply continue to cook the dish on the stove top. You will not get the smoky flavours infused into the dish but the other flavours are more than capable of standing in their own right.