Lou's Easy Paella with Chicken, Prawns and Mussels

This is a paella recipe for me. That is - I've looked at a number of different recipes and picked out the bits I liked best, and the bits I can most easily buy! I do like squid, but it's often difficult (living in the middle of the UK) to get the absolute best quality (and freshest), so I simply haven't included it here. But if you like it, and you can get it fresh, by all means stick it in! Unless there's a reason to be precise (as there often is in baking), I believe recipes should be flexible. The only thing I'd say to consider here, is if you don't have a paella pan and are making this in a deeper pan, be cautious about adding too much water - it won't cook off as quickly as it does in the big pan, so you may not need as much.

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Roll the chicken in seasoned flour, and fry it in until golden. Bake in the oven at 190C (170C fan) for about 30 minutes.

Step 2

Clean and check the mussels, discarding any that look bad or don't close when tapped with a knife. Put these aside.

Step 3

Fry the chorizo on a medium heat until crispy. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until soft, without allowing the onion to brown.

Step 4

Heat 1 litre of stock and infuse it with the saffron.

Step 5

Add the paprika and rice to the onions, stir well to coat, and cook for a few minutes. Add the infused stock and the tomatoes. Cover the pan loosely and leave on a low/medium heat to simmer, stirring regularly to avoid it sticking. This will take around 20 minutes.

Step 6

While the rice is cooking, shred the chicken from the bones and put aside.

Step 7

Pour the rest of the stock into the rice and add the prawns, mussels and peas. Cook for another 10 minutes, adding a little more hot water if required. Stir in the chicken to warm it through. NOTE: if you're not using a paella pan, take care not to add too much water - see note above!

Step 8

Discard any mussels that haven't opened, and serve with a big handful of chopped parsley and a good squeeze of lemon.