Geoff Jansz visited the home of Angel Cardoso, who demonstrated how to make a traditional Spanish paella.

Ingredients

• 150ml extra virgin olive oil
• 150g diced chorizo sausage
• 3 cups rice (arborio or Spanish rice)
• 6 cups water
• 1 heaped teaspoon Spanish paprika
• 5 tablespoons tomato puree
• salt to taste
• 300g tinned green peas, drained
• 300g tinned chopped beans, drained
• 200g fresh clams
• 12 green king prawns
• 12 cooked green lipped mussels in the shell
• 2 lobes roasted capsicum cut into strips
• 10 chicken wingettes
• 250g pork fillet, cubed
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced

Method

1. In a paella pan (or a wide frypan) heat the olive oil and saute the chicken wingettes over fairly high heat until browned. Set aside on absorbent paper.
2. Add the pork to the pan and saute over high heat until browned, set aside on absorbent paper.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and fry the onion for 2-3 minutes, until softened, then add the garlic and chorizo and cook 2 minutes more, until fragrant.
4. Return the chicken and pork to the pan. Add the peas, beans, tomato puree and fresh clams and stir to combine gently.
5. Scatter the rice evenly over the ingredients, then the paprika.
6. Add the water and gently prod the mixture, ensuring ingredients don’t stick to the pan (do not stir). Slowly bring to boil, then reduce to a vigorous simmer and add salt to taste.
7. Press the green prawns and mussels into the mixture and continue to simmer for about 30 minutes, turning the prawns once during cooking. Don’t stir the mixture; it is ready when the liquid has reduced and the rice is firm but not crunchy.
8. Turn off the heat and cover for 10-15 minutes before serving. Optional: decorate the paella with the capsicum strips and serve straight from the pan.

Copyright CTC Productions 2003