After posting my previous entry on the Spanish orange chicken and watching an episode of travel TV programme on Spain, I couldn't resist the strong urge to experiment with a classic Spanish Paella. Unfortunately I couldn't get my hands on some saffron threads given the short time frame but the dish in my opinion, still tasted unbelievably good. I've reduced the portions significantly, however it's definitely better if you have more mouths to feed when attempting this recipe.
Serves 2 - 3
Ingredients:
1 chicken leg, boneless, cut into small cubes
6 large shrimp or 10 small shrimp, peeled or unpeeled depending on your preference
4 scallops or 1 squid, cut into smaller pieces
1 chorizo sausage, sliced
1 cup short-grain rice, rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon parsley
1 bay leaf
1 cup chicken stock or water with bouillion cube
1 lemon, cut into wedges
salt
black pepper
Method:
Place the cut chicken pieces into a resealable bag and add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/2 tablespoon of paprika, 1 teaspoon of oregano, salt, black pepper and mix well. Refrigerate for an hour.
Heat a big shallow pan on medium heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add in the sliced chorizo and fry until the oils from the sausage are released. Remove and set aside, leaving the oil behind in the pan.
Add the marinated chicken and fry for about 2 minutes. Remove and set aside, leaving the oil and juices behind.
Add in 2 cloves of minced garlic, the chopped onion and saute for a minute or until the onions are soft and translucent. Add in 1 teaspoon of parsley, the chopped red bell pepper and saute for another minute.
Mix in the rice and fry for another 3 minutes or until the rice are fully coated with the oil. Add in 1 cup of chicken stock and 1 bay leaf. Bring to boil.
Lower heat to simmer. Place the prepared chicken and chorizo on top of the rice. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add in the prawns and scallop or squid and cover for another 8 minutes or until the rice is moist and fluffy.
Increase the heat to its highest for about a minute. Let the dish stand covered for 5 minutes before serving with lemon wedges. Enjoy.
