Taberna
Ingredients
Serves 2
1 small uncooked chorizo, chopped into ½ cm cubes
1 tub of cooked crayfish tails
1 handful frozen peas
150g paella rice
500ml chicken stock
1 small red chilli, chopped
1 red pepper, diced
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pinch saffron
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
Crayfish Paella
Who doesn't love a nice paella? Oh, well in that case don't bother reading this... the rest of you, however, may carry on. This is best made in a traditional steel or iron paella pan. The idea is that after adding the stock you stir in only very occasionally and gently and try not to agitate the bottom. That way when you come to serve you will have a lovely crispy layer which gives a nice textural contrast to the soft rice. If you don't want a crispy bottom, stir more frequently.
Method
Add the saffron to the chicken stock to infuse. Meanwhile, fry chucks of chorizo in olive oil until they have crisped up. Remove them and then fry the onion in same oil until soft. add garlic and cook for a further 2 mins. Add the rice and spices then stir to combine it all together. Continue cooking this for a further minute.
Add the chicken stock to the pan along with the peppers and chilli and then cook until stock is nearly fully reduced - approx 20 mins. Add crayfish tails, chorizo and peas and cook for a further 2 mins.
Serve with some crusty bread.
It doesn't take a super intelligent gibbon to recognise that you can swap out the main ingredients as you see fit. All manner of fish and fowl could adorn your glistening mound of rice. Me? I like chicken...