There were 13 of us in total and naturally I made enough for about 23 which was fine because every one also got a take home pack and it's not bad microwaved.
My paella pan is probably just big enough for 8-10 so I hatched the cunning plan of using my roasting pans on the barbecue, as they're the same enamel as the pan so figured that would work. I mentioned the barbecue when I was talking on the phone to Mum and she asked me if it would all fall through the grill - seriously. She also enquired if I was going to have a test run - ha! You'd think she'd know how I roll by now. Of course I'm not doing a test run, who's got time for that - and I like to live on the edge. Remember when I set fire to the rotisserie? See, that wouldn't have happened if I'd had a test run, and where's the fun in that??
Anyhoo - back to the paella. Here's what I did (I've halved the recipe but this would still feed a crowd of 10 or so)
In a large pot, heat 2.5 litres of liquid - exact mix doesn't matter that much
- 1.75 litres chicken stock
- 250ml white wine/champagne - whatever's in the fridge
- 500ml crab stock*
- a few strands of saffron (it's also mega expensive and I'm not sure it does make a huge difference so let's call that optional)
*I reckon the secret to why this paella is so good is the crab stock. I get it from the fish shop - it's really expensive - $11.50 for 500ml - but worth it.
In a fry pan, fry off the following until soft/cooked:
- 4 chorizo sausages
- 600g diced chicken thighs
- 2 red capsicums - diced
- 2-3 brown onions diced
- 3 cloves garlic - fry with the onion
- 500g prawns* (keep aside separate from the rest).
*I used Coles frozen farmed cooked prawns tails on - they're a bit average but pretty cheap. Probably better to use fresh ones with tails and heads on if you can be bothered dealing with them. Put them aside so they don't get over cooked - or like me, chuck in the cooked one's towards the end.
Put all this in your paella dish/baking pan and add:
- 2 diced ripe tomatoes
- 4 cups medium grain rice
- 2 large teaspoons smoked paprika
Put the pan on the stove/barbecue and start adding the hot stock.
When it's almost all in - or you've lost interest - add:
- prawns
- 2 cups frozen or fresh peas
- 1kg raw mussels in shells over the top
Cover with foil or close lid of barbie and give it about 10 minutes to cook peas, warm prawns and steam mussels.
Top with a small jar of pimento strips and a bunch of roughly chopped parsley, toss around some lemon wedges and - voila!
Well, I say voila - but because I was doing two big trays I had to recruit my friend Brenda to help - which was fun - but if you'd rather not, I suggest you get it up to the point of adding the stock before the guests arrive.
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| This was the first one I did - no time yesterday to get a pic! But same same. |
