Paella

A classic Spanish rice dish, the name derives from the Old Spanish word for the pan it’s cooked in – padilla. All paellas use a specific starchy paella rice and should contain saffron and chorizo or smoked paprika to give it a smoky flavour. Valencians claim theirs to be the original recipe, and their version includes green vegetables, meat (chicken and rabbit), beans, rosemary and lemon. Seafood paella replaces meat with seafood and omits beans and green vegetables. Mixed paella is a combination of meat, seafood, vegetables, and sometimes beans.

1. Chop the shallot and garlic together in a Kenwood food processor.

2. Heat the oil in a deep, heavy-based frying pan. Add the chopped shallot and garlic and fry for 5 minutes over a high heat, stirring constantly, until softened but not coloured.

3. Pour 600ml of boiling water into a jug. Add in the Knorr Chicken Stock Pot and stir until dissolved. Add the saffron strands to the hot Knorr Chicken Stock.

4. Add the risotto rice to the softened shallot and garlic, and mix in. Pour in the white wine and cook, stirring constantly, until evaporated.

5. Add the saffron-infused chicken stock a little at a time, stirring the rice so that it cooks evenly and allowing the stock to absorb into the rice before adding more.

6. After the rice has been cooking for about 15 minutes, add in the cockles, clams or mussels and cook, shaking the pan now and then, until they open up. Discard any that don’t open.

7. Add the prawns and squid to the pan with the paprika and stir into the rice. Heat, stirring until the prawns and squid are just cooked, for 3 minutes or so and about 5 minutes if using cooked prawns, making sure they are heated through. Garnish with parsley, if using, and serve at once. A green salad on the side makes a nice accompaniment.

Recipe courtesy of Knorr