This is NOT a traditional paella. I will preface with that. But it is an easy and delicious one.
My friend Edward once lived in Spain teaching English. One of the teachers at his school (the eponymous Maria Luisa) cooked him Paella, and he loved it so much that he asked her to share the recipe. The recipe was written in Spanish without quantities because she cooked it as she felt it. Edward, many years later, wanted to cook this again and I got to enjoy the journey with him. Years later, I wanted to do the same. So is a recipe cooked from my memory of Edward cooking from his memory of Maria Luisa’s paella. It’s at least two steps removed from Maria Luisa’s original and I’m certain hers was adapted from someone else. But isn’t that how the best recipes travel around the world?
Boil some salted water in a pot, remove from heat and add in the shrimp. Return to low heat, and as soon as it comes to boil, turn off the heat again. Let it sit until needed (you will use the shrimp ‘stock’ later).
Preheat a paella pan (or any flat, wide pan) over medium heat, and add 1 glug of olive oil. Add sliced calamari and fry until lightly charred, then remove to a plate.
In the same pan, fry diced green pepper, tomato and onion with another big glug of olive oil. This is the sofrito.
Add the uncooked rice into the sofrito and add ½ cup olive oil. Add the chopped chorizo, sliced chicken breast and 3 cups of water from the prawn pot. Add paprika and saffron.
Stir and set over low heat for 20 minutes. As the water soaks into the rice and reduces, continue adding water from the prawn pot until rice is cooked and all the water has evaporated.
Mash salt, parsley and garlic together in a mortar and pestle or food processor until you make a rough paste. Add and stir through the rice, add a little more water if needed, and the prawns and calamari. Cover and set aside for 5 minutes. Serve topped with slices of lemon to squeeze over.
Ingredients
Directions
Boil some salted water in a pot, remove from heat and add in the shrimp. Return to low heat, and as soon as it comes to boil, turn off the heat again. Let it sit until needed (you will use the shrimp ‘stock’ later).
Preheat a paella pan (or any flat, wide pan) over medium heat, and add 1 glug of olive oil. Add sliced calamari and fry until lightly charred, then remove to a plate.
In the same pan, fry diced green pepper, tomato and onion with another big glug of olive oil. This is the sofrito.
Add the uncooked rice into the sofrito and add ½ cup olive oil. Add the chopped chorizo, sliced chicken breast and 3 cups of water from the prawn pot. Add paprika and saffron.
Stir and set over low heat for 20 minutes. As the water soaks into the rice and reduces, continue adding water from the prawn pot until rice is cooked and all the water has evaporated.
Mash salt, parsley and garlic together in a mortar and pestle or food processor until you make a rough paste. Add and stir through the rice, add a little more water if needed, and the prawns and calamari. Cover and set aside for 5 minutes. Serve topped with slices of lemon to squeeze over.