Paella

A trip to Whitstable on the Kent coast, prompted this late summer Paella which made a great Sunday dinner served with warm crusty bread.

Below: Jessie waits dutifully outside The  Crab and Winkle

Ingredients

170g chorizo, cut into thin slices

110g pancetta, cut into small dice

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 large onion, finely diced

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

300g paella rice

1 tsp paprika

125ml dry white wine

2 pints chicken stock, heated with ¼ tsp saffron strands

8 chicken thighs, halved and browned 

12 fresh mussels                                                                                                                                 

2 large tomatoes, de-seeded and diced

125ml good olive oil

1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled

12 large raw prawns

450g squid, cleaned and cut into rings

Handful of frozen peas

3 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat half the olive oil in a paella pan or heavy-based saucepan. Add the chorizo and pancetta and fry until crisp. Add the garlic and onion and heat until softened. Add the rice, and stir until all the grains of rice are nicely coated and glossy.

 Now add the paprika and dry white wine and when it is bubbling, pour in the hot chicken stock, add the chicken thighs and cook for 5-10 minutes.

Place the mussels into the pan, add the peas and tomatoes, continue to cook gently for another 10 minutes.  

Heat the remaining oil with the garlic cloves in a separate pan and add the prawns. Fry quickly for a minute or two then add them to the paella.  Now do the same with the squid and add them to the pan. Throw in the sliced pepper.

Scatter the chopped parsley over the paella and serve immediately with warm crusty bread.