Karen Martini's Paella

This is to die for and is still amazing without the prawns.

100 ml olive oil

2 chicken thigh fillets, skin removed,

cut into 2 cm pieces

6 green (raw) prawns, peeled and deveined, with heads and tails intact

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

100 ml fino sherry

200 g chorizo sausage, sliced

3 green chillies, seeded and chopped 6 cloves garlic, chopped

2 large red onions, chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 red capsicums (peppers), roasted in a 200?C oven for 25 minutes, then peeled and chopped

350 g calasparra or arborio rice

1.5 litres hot chicken stock (see page 134)

1/2 cup frozen peas; defrosted

Handful coriander leaves


Heat half the olive oil in a large deep frying pan or a 5o cm paella pan over high heat, add the chicken and cook for 4 minutes. Add the prawns, half the paprika and half the chilli powder and stir for 1 minute. Add the sherry, stir well, then transfer the chicken mixture to a bowl.

Heat the remaining oil in the pan over medium heat and cook the chorizo for 2 minutes, then add the chilli, garlic and onion and cook for 6 minutes. Stir in the remaining paprika and chilli powder and season with salt and pepper. Add the roasted capsicum and rice and stir for 3 minutes, then add the stock and stir well. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, then return the chicken mixture to the pan and add the peas and a little more stock, if necessary. Cover and cook over low heat for i minute, then rest, covered, for 5 minutes.

Scatter with coriander and mint leaves and serve with lemon wedges.