Recipes

Servings

Ingredients

15ml olive oil

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but into pieces

75g chorizo, skinned & cut into pieces

2 medium onions, chopped

1 each red & yellow pepper, seeded & sliced

3 garlic cloves, crushed

15ml smoked paprika

1 bay leaf

175g paella rice

1 liter hot chicken stock

500g live mussels, scrubbed & beards removed

150g frozen peas

225g calamari rings

12 raw king prawns, peeled

pinch of ground chilli

salt & pepper

handful of coriander, chopped

lime wedges for squeezing

Lekker Seafood Paella

Method

• Heat the oil in a non-stick paella pan over medium heat.  Season the chicken thighs with salt & pepper & fry them for about 5 minutes, turning regularly.  Add the chorizo & cook for another 30 seconds, turning once.  Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan.
• Add the onions to the pan & fry gently for a couple of minutes.  Add the peppers & cook for another 2 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, smoked paprika, bay leaf & rice & cook for 1-2 minutes until the rice is glistening all over.
• Return the chicken & chorizo to the pan along with the juices.  Stir well, then pour in the chicken stock & season with black pepper.  Stir once or twice & bring to a simmer over a medium heat.  Cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Tip the mussels into the partly cooked rice mixture & stir once, making sure they are well tucked into the rice.  Return to a simmer & cook for 3 minutes or until most of the mussels have opened.
• Scatter the peas, calamari & prawns over the top & stir well.  Add chilli if you enjoy a kick.  Continue cooking until the prawns are completely pink & the liquid has been absorbed.  Don’t stir again!  You’ll get a fantastic crust on the bottom of the pan this way.
• Pick out any mussels that haven’t opened & throw them away.  Serve hot with coriander & lime wedges.