Chicken and chorizo paella

Paella is Spain's world-famous national dish, and many variations on the recipe have emerged. It originates from Valencia, and there are certain traditions surrounding exactly how to cook an authentic paella.

Being a little non-traditional myself, some of these ideas I have kept in this recipe, and some I have let go!

Traditionally, paella is cooked in a special pan designed for the job, called a paellera - a paella pan. They are made of stainless steel with two handles, and should ideally NOT be non-stick. Of course, I just used a non-stick wok instead.

Once the rice and stock have been added, the paella should be covered and cooked without stirring. And the reason for the paella pan not being non-stick is because the bottom layers of rice are supposed to toast and slightly caramelize. This part is considered the best bit of the paella!

I didn't want a crunchy paella, but you can certainly do the job in this more traditional way if you wish. Have fun, enjoy the cooking and the eating!

olive oil
1 red bell pepper (sliced)
3 chicken thigh fillets (1 inch dice)
150g chorizo sausage (diced)
100g button mushrooms (sliced)
2 cloves garlic
3 tomatoes (roughly chopped)
100g green beans (cut into 1 inch lengths)
half tbsp fresh rosemary (finely chopped)
1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
pinch of saffron threads in quarter of a cup of warm water
rice (1 cup)
chicken stock (approx 2 cups)

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large, deep frying pan or paella pan.

Add the sliced red bell pepper and cook over a medium heat until softened - about 5-6 minutes.

Remove the cooked peppers from the pan.

Add the chicken to the pan and cook for about 10 minutes, until browned all over. Remove.

Then add the chorizo pieces and fry until they are a golden brown color - about 5 minutes. Remove them from the pan.

Add the sliced mushrooms and crushed garlic to the pan and cook for 5 minutes.

I used button mushrooms, but you can used chestnut mushrooms if you like.

Now add the tomatoes and the bell peppers to the mushrooms, and stir them in. Continue cooking for a further 5 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft.

You're ready to complete the dish.

Add the green beans, rosemary, flat-leaf parsley, the saffron mixture, rice, chicken and chorizo sausage. Stir briefly to mix the rice into the other ingredients and then add the chicken stock.

Do not stir again. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Then switch off the heat and allow to continue absorbing the stock for a further 10 minutes. And that's it. Done!