Paella

I finally did it! Bought a paella pan (38 cm) for induction and finally made a real paella. With some improvisation in the oven, because the pan is way too large to be heated well on my induction stove. But it worked! Next time a little more heat from below for a crispy bottom, but next to that: creamy, salty perfection.

Ingredients (4-6p):

• 1 onion • 1 red bellpepper • 5 garlic cloves • 200 gram green peas • 2 tbsp tomato puree • ½ tsp saffron • 2 tsp smoked paprika • salt and pepper • 5 bay leaves • fresh parsley • 500 ml chicken stock • 250 gram chicken thighs • 250 gram raw shrimps • 300 gram spicy chorizo • 8 langoustines or large prawns • mussels • 2 lemons • olive oil • splash of white wine • 300 gram paella rice •

1. Start with prepping all your ingredients. Finely chop the onion, bellpepper and garlic for a Spanish sofritto. Finely chop the chorizo (leave a few slices whole to put on top) and roughly slice the chicken. Clean the mussels. Soak the saffron in 2 tbsp of hot water. Pre-heat your oven at 200°C.

2. Get your paella pan, or large frying pan, and start with frying the chorizo. As soon as the oil comes out, sauté the sofritto and peas with the bay leaves.

3. Add the chicken into the pan, together with the tomato puree, paprika powder, salt and pepper. When everything is coated well, add the rice and stir well. Add the splash of wine, saffron water, the chicken stock and stir one last time.

4. Turn off the heat and add the raw shrimps. Put the whole pan in the hot oven (bottom half of the oven) for a total of 30 minutes. Halfway in, so after 15 minutes, add the mussels, chorizo and langoustines on top.

5. After 30 minutes, take the pan out, add the fresh parsley and lemon wedges and maybe some olive oil. Serve in the pan with small bowls, so everybody can scoop their own portion from the pan.

Enjoy!