Paella

Ingredients

• 180g paella rice or 180g short-grain brown rice
• 160g boneless, skinless chicken thigh fillets (about half a standard 320g pack), cut into small pieces
• 165g raw peeled king prawns (1 pack)
• 250g skinless, boneless hake fillets (1 pack), cut into roughly 3cm pieces. Monkfish tail or mussels better if available.
• 325g fresh fish bone broth
• 220g chicken stock
• 150ml boiling water if using brown rice
• 1 red pepper, finely chopped into half rings
• 200g green beans (1 pack), cut into short lengths or 200g frozen peas
• 1 × 400g tin butter beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• small handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp sweet Spanish paprika
• generous pinch saffron threads
• 1 small rosemary sprig
• freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Brown the chicken

Heat the olive oil in a wide frying or paella pan over medium-high heat.

Brown the chicken for about 4 minutes.

White rice: leave the chicken in the pan.
Brown rice: remove the chicken to a plate for now.

2. Cook the rice

For WHITE paella rice: add the pepper and green beans and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic, paprika, saffron, rosemary and black pepper and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in the rice and butter beans, then add the fish broth and chicken stock.

For BROWN rice: add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the rice, saffron, rosemary, fish broth, chicken stock and 150ml boiling water. Cook for about 20 minutes, then add the browned chicken, pepper, green beans, tomatoes, paprika and butter beans.

For either version, stir once after adding the liquid, bring to a simmer and then do not stir again.

Continue cooking uncovered until the rice is nearly tender:

• White rice: roughly another 12 minutes
• Brown rice: roughly another 10–15 minutes after adding the chicken and vegetables; add a splash more boiling water if necessary

3. Add the seafood

When the rice is about 5–6 minutes from being ready, arrange the hake and prawns over the top and press them lightly into the rice.

Continue cooking without stirring until the rice is tender with a little bite, the seafood and chicken are cooked through, and virtually all the liquid has been absorbed.

4. Finish

For a little socarrat, increase the heat for the final 30–60 seconds, until the rice gently crackles underneath.

Remove from the heat and rest for 3–5 minutes.

Scatter with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.