Paella Recipe

SERVES: 4-6

Ingredients

• 250 g calamari (squid)
• 4 to 6 chicken thighs
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1½ cups (375 ml) water
• 1 cup (250 ml) dry white wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 125 g chorizo, sliced diagonally
• 4 baby octopus, cleaned and halved
• 2 green capsicum (peppers), sliced
• 4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• pinch saffron threads
• ¾ cup (150 g) long-grain rice
• 300 g mussels, scrubbed and cleaned
• 500 g medium or large raw prawns (shrimp)

Recipe

1. Pull out and discard intestines of the calamari.
2. Cut off tentacles and set aside.
3. Discard 'feather' from calamari, then rinse and rub off skin. Rinse again.
4. Season chicken thighs with salt, pepper and paprika. Heat oil in a heavy-based frying pan or paellera.
5. Cook chicken in oil until -golden on both sides. Reduce heat.
6. Carefully cover with water, white wine and bay leaf and simmer for 15 minutes.
7. Drain chicken and strain 2 cups (500 ml) of cooking liquid.
8. Add chorizo to pan and cook for
9. 4 minutes, turning. Add prepared calamari, octopus, capsicum, tomatoes, onion and saffron.
10. Cover and cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
11. sprinkle rice over vegetables and pour over 1½ cups (375ml) strained cooking liquid. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
12. Place mussels, prawns and chicken thighs over rice.
13. Test rice and add more stock if necessary.
14. Cover and cook over a gentle heat until rice is tender and mussels and prawns cooked. Serves from dish

Note: Chorizo is a Spanish sausage. If unavailable substitute a peppery salami.