Number Three: Pantry Paella!

Okay, so as I mentioned before, my mum was going out tonight, so my dad and I took the opportunity to cook something with seafood! We had a flick through Kitchen (I will use other books during the challenge too don't worry, I just like this one a lot!), and decided on the paella. I realised that I've never actually had paella before. How sad. But all the more reason to make it!!

The recipe serves 4 but we made it for 2, and I'll give you the quantities we used since we changed a few other things too.

For example the recipe calls for cooked pork, but in the introduction Nigella suggests chicken or chorizo if there's no pork around, so naturally we chose both :)

Nigella also uses the tentacles of the squid in her's, but I hate the little legs, I find it really disturbing to be honest, so I never use them. I know they say 'waste not want not' but I will never ever want them so that does NOT apply here! But if you do then of course use them, the world is your oyster (or squid in this case)

ANYWAY, on to the recipe.

Ingredients
-pinch saffron threads
-2 tbsp sherry
-1 tbsp olive oil
-2 spring onions, finely sliced
-1 small clove garlic, peeled and finely sliced
-125g paella rice or, failing that, arborio rice (we failed, so arborio it was)
-about 200g frozen mixed seafood (we actually bought a 325g bag of mussels, prawns and squid rings, but I CANNOT STAND mussels, absolute bain of my life, so I pulled them out - well most of them but they're so disgusting I got my dad to do the rest. Apologies if you like them, you are most welcome to use them if that's your thing, but it ain't mine)
-100g cold cooked chicken, cut into chunks
-about 75g chorizo, sliced
-125g frozen peas
-300ml hot chicken stock
-lemon wedges, to serve
-chopped fresh coriander, to serve

Method
1. Put the saffron threads into a small saucepan over a medium heat with the sherry, and warm through. But don't let them boil - it heats up quicker than you think and I made the mistake of turning around to chop something and BAM, it was boiling. Luckily my daddy saved it. When it's warmed, set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy based pan (we used a wok) and fry the sliced spring onions for a few minutes. Add the sliced garlic for another minute or so.

3. Add the rice, stirring it to cover it in the oil, and then add the seafood, chicken, chorizo and prawns and stir well.

Our yummy seafood, not bastardized by the presence of mussles

4. Add the hot stock and the warmed sherry mixture and stir well.

As you can see I forgot the peas, but have no fear, they appeared only moments later after my dad cried, "WHAT ABOUT THE PEEEEAS??" He seems to be the saviour of this recipe at the moment.

Hello peas :)

5. Bring to a bubble, and then reduce to a gentle simmer. Leave for 15-20 minutes WITHOUT STIRRING.

6. Find something to keep you occupied. Maybe do a little dance or stroke the cat. After all, you don't need to stir it so you can just leave it alone! Make sure no 'helpful' family members try and sabotage your work by stirring it. Lock the kitchen if need be.

Here's a cat. And some carrots too. Yay

7. By now the rice should be tender, and the liquid absorbed. Fork it through to separate the grains, and season to taste. We didn't need to though as the chorizo adds a nice salty taste anyway. Gotta love chorizo.

8. Serve the paella with the lemon wedges, and a sprinkling of coriander. YUM!

This was really yummy, so definitely have a go! You can pretty much put whatever you want in it - chicken, pork, prawns, chorizo, squid, beef strips, even...mussels...*shudder*. Just get the quantities about the same and you'll be fine!

Thanks Nigella!!

Not to end this post on a sour note, but I must issue a warning:

Being a studious A level student, my posts may be slightly disparate at times due to copious amounts of revision and exams. But the blog will still be going! I'm not gonna give up that easily :)

Thanks for reading!!