CHEATS PAELLA

4 persons as a main course 8 persons as a starter

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes, roughly

4 tbsp olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 red pepper, cut into 1cm pieces
½ tsp paprika, optional
350g long grain rice
200g cooked chicken strips
500g frozen jumbo prawns
600mls roughly, boiling water
1½ vegetable stock cubes, crumbled
3 tbsp tomato puree
Only a little salt needed
Course ground black pepper
2 pots fresh parsley, chopped roughly

1.    Pre-heat the oven to 200°C gas mark 6.
2.    Heat the oil, and then add the onions, garlic, and pepper.
3.    Cook for 10 minutes so the pepper releases its colour slightly, add ½ tsp paprika to help that along.
4.    Next add the rice and coat well in the oil and onion.
5.    Then add the frozen chicken pieces and the prawns then mix really well.
6.    Next, add the boiling water, stock cube, tomato puree, a little salt and pepper and really mix well.
7.    Bring back to the boil, cover with a tight fitting lid and then pop into the oven.
8.    Cook for 15 minutes.
9.    Remove from the oven, remove the lid and stir well.
10.    Recover and leave for 10 minutes, then serve with a sprinkling of parsley.

Tips

•    Adding a tiny amount of paprika is not authentic to this dish, it’s just adds a little extra colour to the peppers. In Spain saffron is used.

•    This dish is traditionally cooked on the top of the stove, this is no problem provided you turn the heat down as low as possible and cover with a tight fitting lid.

•    Fail safe way is in the oven, no burning if you forget or the ‘phone rings.

•    Always leave the cooked Paella to rest after cooking; this makes the rice fluffier and nicer to eat in my opinion.