Forgive me - paella

Paella is an all in one dish, full of flavour, and very impressive on the table. The paprika and garlic flavours give a light punch, with a squeeze of fresh lemon giving a lovely zingy edge. Saffron gives a pale buttery yellow colour...  turmeric can be substituted, but a very small amount, the flavour of saffron is light and turmeric in too large a quantity may leave a slightly bitter taste.

Rice dishes like paella and risotto can end up like a savoury rice pudding if you’re not careful. So I looked at an assortment of recipes carefully. As usual I’ve made a combo of several, and cooked what’s sometimes called free-style paella. It mixes chicken, chorizo and prawns. What is particularly nice about this recipe, is that you can do most of the cooking in advance.

I made a vast amount, to fit in my long owned but never used paella pan, 60cm across. The principle is the same whatever size pan you use. Of course, when cooking on gas, a smaller pan makes things easier. I doubt you'll have any leftovers.

If you use skinless chicken thighs, you can buy it off the bone, or get it with bones in and use them to make stock. You don’t want any skin, so use this and the bones to make stock if you like, or use bouillon if you like.

I marinaded the chicken in garlic, paprika and lemon the day before. I didn't marinade the prawns... but might next time.

Paella rice is round, like risotto rice. Delia Smith gives the lowdown on rice here http://www.deliaonline.com/ingredients/ingredients-a-z/ingredients-p-r/Rice.html. Like any specialist rice, you can buy very expensive types or medium expensive: I opt for the latter because I’m a cheapskate and a culinary vandal. Disculpeme, lo siento etc… remember, paella is easier to make than you might think.

I’m giving a quantity you can make in a large frying pan for four. If you’ve got a good size paella pan, scale it up and enjoy yourself.

INGREDIENTS

150g piece chorizo, halved lengthways and sliced

4 large chicken thighs, skin removed, boned and cut into large chunks
12 large prawns, or as many as you want to include

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

Pinch of saffron (about 15 threads)

1 tbsp smoked sweet paprika

300g paella or risotto rice

1 glass white wine

1 litre chicken stock (and a bit), hot

1 red peppers and 1 yellow peppers, deseeded and sliced

75g frozen peas (a mugful)

1 tin chopped tomatoes (or 3 large fresh ones, chopped)

1 bunch (min 25g pack) chopped flatleaf parsley, stems discarded

1 lemon cut into wedges, to serve

Marinade for chicken

1 tsp paprika

Large pinch salt

Generous grindings black pepper (I sometimes use mixed red/pink/green/black peppers)

1 clove garlic

Juice of 1 lemon

METHOD

Cut the chicken thighs into large pieces (put skin and the bones aside if you have them), mix with marinade and set aside, leave for at least an hour, or overnight.

• Prepare your stock, with a slug of white wine, adding the saffron once you have taken it off the heat, to infuse
•  Put a large, deep frying pan on a medium heat
• Add the chopped chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, until some of the oil has been released
• Remove and set aside, leaving fat in the pan
• Cook the diced chicken in the chorizo fat for 3-4 minutes, stirring, until coloured on all sides
• Remove, leaving fat in the pan and set aside with the chorizo
• Pour a little olive oil into the pan, and add the onions and peppers, until they soften, about  5 minutes
• Add the garlic and paprika, together with a handful of chopped parsley, and cook for about a minute
• Add the tinned tomatoes and cook for another minute, stirring
• Add the rice and mix gently with the veg, until it’s mixed with the veg and oil

PREPARE IN ADVANCE UP TO THIS POINT IF YOU LIKE

you’ll have the meat, the stock and the rice mixture ready to go

• In the pan over a medium heat, stir the rice mixture gently, add the hot stock and simmer for ten minutes, stirring occasionally
• Return the chicken to the pan, pushing it into the rice mixture, and cook for 5 minutes, adding a little more stock or hot water if necessary
• Season and gently stir in the chorizo, thawed peas, and prawns the chorizo and the rest of the parsley
• Continue to cook for about 5 minutes (or until the prawns are cooked) without stirring – a little stickiness on the underside adds to the flavour

Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over

Eat

Easy, delicious, gluten free pork, lemon and thyme stuffing

You would think there was a big market for gluten free food, especially at Christmas. Yet all I could find in the local supermarket was gluten free chocolate macaroons. But what I need is stuffing. So I bought some pork and bacon and set to making my own.


My local butcher does do gluten free sausagemeat, however I wanted to make some without any imitations of flour or bread in it. So I bought some loin chops and some unsmoked bacon to put together with rice and herbs. 

In this stuffing the lemony tang is nicely balanced with the sweetness of the pork. It is a good match for the richness of roast chicken and potatoes. It's also a  As usual the dilemma is how to avoid overeating. 


By the way, there's no egg in this stuffing either, all the sticking together is done by stirring and the rice.

pork loin

Pork, thyme, lemon and parsley stuffing

ingredients

330g pork loin (that's two large chops, with fat)

160g unsmoked back bacon

2 onions

2 cloves garlic

1 tbsp dried thyme (or half tbsp of fresh thyme)

zest and juice of one lemon

1/2 mug rice

2 handfuls flaked rice

two healthy pinches of Maldon sea salt

2tsp mixed peppercorns (red, green, black)

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

method

• Cook the rice, stir in zest of lemon and pepper - it'll look like it's covered in ash, but the smell is delicious. Set aside.
• Mince or finely chop the pork and bacon.
• Finely chop onion and garlic, and fry on low heat until translucent, then stir in herbs.
• Mix all ingredients together.



diced pork and bacon ready for mincing 

• Roll into balls and chill for several hours before cooking.

Cook on oiled baking tin for 30m, or until brown at 375°F/190°C/Gas mark 6.

Makes 14 balls, could be 15.

These balls can be made ahead and frozen - add 10m to cooking time if you are cooking from frozen. 

mince old style or with a food processor

notes

• The fat of the pork and bacon keeps the balls moist while cooking. If you think the port is lean, drizzle with olive oil or put a dab of butter on them before cooking. 
• Wrap the balls in bacon if you like, that keeps them moist too.
• the rice flakes make the balls nice and sticky, but you can just use a bit more cooked rice and blitz it with the meat.

This stuffing goes well with roast chicken, such as best roast chicken.


I'm going to try them in a tomato sauce soon.


Aha! in tomato sauce they are great, with rice and a sprinkling of parmesan. Extra pepper.