Spanish baked paella with prawns, Tenderstem broccoli with peppers

A splash of Spanish paella colour
A splash of Spanish paella colour

Colourful, easy, and mildly spiced with saffron, this dish will add a splash of Spain to your Autumnal table.

Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes.
A pinch of saffron threads
2 tbsp olive oil
200g cooking chorizo, diced
2 medium onions, chopped
2 red peppers chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
250g white rice, ideally paella rice, or if not basmati is good
450ml chicken stock
salt & freshly ground black pepper
300g Tenderstem, each stem cut into 2
300g raw king prawns
a small bunch of flatleaf parsley, chopped
1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve.

Preheat oven to 200ºC/180ºC fan/gas 6. Sprinkle the saffron threads into a small heatproof glass or bowl and pour over 2 tablespoons of boiling water.

Add the oil to a large heavy based heatproof casserole and set over a medium high heat. When it is hot, add the chorizo, onions and peppers and fry together for 10 minutes, stirring frequently until they are a little coloured at the edges.

Reduce the heat a little before stirring through the garlic and rice. Fry for a couple of minutes, making sure all the rice grains are well coated in the juices.

Pour in the stock, and saffron, along with its soaking water, stirring well to mix.

Season with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper, cover with a tight fitting lid or snuggly tucked piece of foil and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.

Blanch the Tenderstem in a pan of boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain well.

Remove the paella from the oven, stir through the Tenderstem and prawns and most of the parsley, recover and return to the oven for a further 10-15 minutes, until the prawns are pink and cooked and the Tenderstem cooked but with a little bite.

Serve immediately, with a little extra parsley scattered on top and lemon wedges to squeeze over.

Cooks tip Replace the prawns with an equal quantity of leftover roast chicken for an easy Monday night supper.

http://www.tenderstem.co.uk

Bruce McMichael

Food writing, discovering food stories, meeting producers, chefs and food enthusiasts are all part of desire to inspire, inform my readers and fellow food lovers. I am a freelance writer, journalist and published author focusing on the international world of food and drink, culture and travel. In 2019 I graduated from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy with a Masters in Food Culture, Communication and Marketing. I am now a visiting Professor at the university teaching Food & Drink Writing. Based in London I travel widely, particularly across western Europe. I have chaired many conferences and meetings, spoken at conferences and events and often appear on radio and TV talking most about food, the business of food and being an entrepreneur. In 2017 I won an episode of the ITV (the UK-based national television channel) cooking competition show, 'Gordon Ramsay's Culinary Genius'. I took my children on holiday to Sicily with the prize money. As an experienced farmers' market manager and operator of a small marmalade/ preserves company, I am very familiar with the issues surrounding local food, farming, enterprise and the environment.

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