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Paella

Ready in 1 hr 10 mins

Recipe by Graham 

Paella is the celebrated Spanish dish that actually varies in Spain, region to region. For that reason, the ingredients can be changed a little to suit your own personal tastes. This particular version was invented one summer evening at the home of my friends, Pam and Wally, following a riotous afternoon next to the swimming pool. The meal was luxurious but I still apologise for the state in which I left their kitchen! (I usually blame it on Wally!)

Don't be alarmed about the amount of wine used in this recipe. Wine, when boiled, loses its alcohol content but still imparts flavour to the food.

Preparation Time

10 Minutes

Cooking Time

1 Hour

Ingredients for Paella

If you are not familiar with any ingredients, please check our International Cooking Terms page.

Currently displaying quantities in US Imperial Measurements

To serve 4:

4 chicken portions (thigh or breast)
½ pint white wine
1 bouquet garni
14 oz long grain rice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red pepper
2 onions
2 cloves garlic
½ pint water (approx)
2 doses saffron powder
  salt and pepper
4 oz frozen prawns
8 oz frozen seafood cocktail **
4 oz frozen peas (petits pois)

How to Cook Paella

  1. Place the prawns and seafood cocktail into a sieve (strainer) and allow to defrost, retaining the liquids in a bowl. (Obviously this is not relevant if you are using fresh seafood - then you simply need to peel and prepare it)
  2. Pour approximately half of the wine into a large frying pan or paella pan and add the bouquet garni, then add the chicken portions. Poach over a moderate heat for 20-30 minutes. Allow the chicken to cool a little, then remove any skin. Strain the juices that remain in the pan through a sieve (strainer) and retain the stock along with the juices from the defrosting seafood.
  3. Meanwhile, peel and crush (mince) the garlic, core and seed the red pepper and chop it into small pieces, skin and chop the onion. Pour the Olive oil into the same frying pan or paella pan in which the chicken was cooked, add the garlic, red pepper and onion and gently fry for 5-7 minutes to soften. Add the rice and turn it for a minute in the oil until it is glistening and golden.
  4. Add the remaining white wine to the juices from the defrosted seafood and, if necessary, add water to make the total liquid content up to 20fl oz (600ml or 1pt). Pour this over the rice, heat to simmering point, then stir in the saffron powder. Cover the pan either with a tight fitting lid or with aluminium foil and leave it to cook for 10 minutes (without even peeping at it!).
  5. Remove the cover. By now the rice will have taken on a golden saffron hue and most of the stock liquid will have been absorbed. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste then add the prawns, seafood cocktail and cooked chicken portions. Cover and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the frozen petits pois and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring well to mix all the ingredients. By now, the rice should be moist, but not wet.
  6. Take the paella pan straight to the table for serving.
  7. ** If you have problems finding frozen seafood cocktail, you can buy small tins or jars of mussel, squid and clams in any proportion you want to make up 8oz (225g).
GRAHAM'S HOT TIP:
Despite the long list of ingredients, paella is a fairly easy dish to cook. Serve it with a robust Spanish red wine like Rioja.

Incidentally, paella is one of those dishes that seems to "mature" with age! It is excellent for a couple of days after (as long as you keep it refrigerated).