Okay, so we can’t rightly claim
this an ‘authentic’ Spanish paella, (to begin with, there is no saffron
in the recipe) but it tastes and looks very similar. It is also packed with a good balance of carbohydrate and protein and tastes pretty good - the ideal autumn dish, so there you go.
Ingredients
4 free range chicken breasts (on the bone is better for flavour but you can use deboned/de-skinned if you wish)
400 grams deveined prawns or prawn meat (shelled or not, is up to personal preference)
salt and pepper
3 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
Some olive oil
1 tomato (chopped)
1 red bell pepper (chopped)
1 onion (chopped)
2 cups medium grain rice (needs to absorb liquid but hold its form)
½ can of large butter beans (canned, obviously)
1 cup chicken stock (homemade broth for the win, but if you don’t have, dissolved stock cubes will do)
150g of peas (frozen is fine, but fresh it better)
Preparation
In
a broad, flat skillet, heat the olive oil. *(Use the widest, flattest
pan you have. Cast iron is ideal as it distributes heat evenly
throughout). Over a high heat, briefly (very briefly) fry the prawns,
seasoning with salt, pepper and garlic. Remove from the pan and set
aside. Turn the heat down to medium and brown the chicken.
Remove from the pan, add the onion and some more garlic, and cook over medium heat until translucent (you don't want to burn the onion or toast the garlic). Add the tomato and bell pepper and cook for another minute or three. Now add the rice and toast it for a couple minutes.
Add the rest of the garlic, the butter beans, stock, and the chicken. Season again with the salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and stir gently.
Now take the heat down to 1 and cover (with a lid, another pan, or foil). Cook for 15 minutes, checking at about 10 to make sure there is still enough liquid. After 15 minutes, add the prawns and stir in gently. Cook for another 10 minutes before adding the peas. The dish is done when the rice is cooked and the peas are warmed through.
Garnish with coriander for extra flair.
