Paella

Paella is traditionally cooked in a very large pan which can be set over a couple of burners on your stove, turning regularly so that there is even cooking. I used my large Sunbeam family banquet electric frying pan on low setting (2). Paella differs from risotto in that you are not meant to stir while it is cooking. The lid is left off and a crust is meant to form around the bottom and outside(called the socarrat). It is covered at the end of cooking to allow the rice on top to finish cooking.

Here's a great article about cooking paella from Rick Stein: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/homestyle/blogs/tried-and-tasted/rick-steins-paella-party-food-20110907-1jwne.html

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

Sliced Chorizo sausage

1 -2 red peppers, finely chopped

2-3 tomatoes, finely chopped

3-4 teaspoons smoky paprika

2 cups Arborio rice (or Calasparra rice if you can get it)

6 cups stock (or boiling water and 3 teaspoons chicken stock powder)

2 teaspoons salt

750g marinara seafood mix

6 chicken drumsticks (optional, reduce quantity of seafood mix to 500g)

1 cup frozen peas, thawed and cooked

Method:

Heat oil in pan and gently fry onion, garlic and chorizo sausage and chicken. Remove sausage and chicken to a bowl when cooked. (You could put the chicken in the oven to continue cooking while you make the paella). Now add peppers, tomatoes and paprika and cook gently stirring to make a sauce (called the sofrito). Then stir in the rice and allow it to absorb some of the sauce for a couple of minutes and then add the stock and salt. Now allow the rice to cook for 5-7 mins. Next add the marinara mix and leave to cook a few minutes until cooked through. Finish by adding the peas and reserved sausage and chicken, turning off the pan and covering with foil. Leave to rest a few minutes before serving.

Mine didn't dry out as much as it should have done, and I probably stirred it too much, being afraid of it sticking given the uneven nature of the pan's heating element. Nonetheless it was very tasty and for once everybody liked it.