1: Fry the chicken in some olive oil. Put the browned chicken pieces into a pan with 8 glasses of water, and bring to the boil. Leave simmering for half an hour.

2. Cut the artichokes and red pepper and fry them.

3: Fry the tomato and garlic in olive oil in the large paellera (special paella pan), then add the rice, stir for a minute and then add the chicken, chicken stock (there should be 6 glasses), artichokes, red peppers, the juice of half a lemon, black pepper, parsley, thyme, rosemary, the saffrón strands (grind them first. If you haven't got a grinder, use Colorante which you'll find in the spice and herbs racks in supermarkets) and salt.

4: Once all the ingredients are in the paella pan, turn the heat up to maximum and boil for about 10 minutes. Then lower the heat and leave to simmer for another 10 minutes. After 20 minutes, the liquid should have evaporated. Turn off the heat, and leave to stand for five minutes. If possible cover while it is standing (many Spaniards use paper to cover the pan).

 

Use quality ingredients:

• Olive oil: Ciao recommends Aceite Carbonell. This page may also help you to decide: Aceitedeoliva.com.
• Rice: Our favourite brand is SOS. Another excellent rice available in Spain is Arroz de Calasparra (if you get hold of a packet, the paella will need a little more cooking time). Don't forget to use short-grained rice - the kind used to make rice pudding.
• Saffron: Azafrán de Carmencita.

Tips

• Serve portions with a slice of lemon to squeeze over the rice.
• You may like to make some alioli, garlic mayonnaisse. You can also buy it already made - look out for it next to the normal mayonnaisse in the supermarket.
• Serve with a good Spanish red wine.
• If you want a meatier version, add some pork to the chicken and cook it in the same way together.
• You can also add some peas or broad beans to the pan and let them cook together with the other ingredients.
• Water - we always use mineral water. The water in many coastal areas of Spain has a strong taste of chlorine. Use mineral water to avoid this.
• When cooking the paella, turn the pan round now and then so that the rice cooks evenly.
• After washing and drying the paella pan, wipe it with a piece of kitchen roll and olive oil. This stops the pan from rusting.
• Plant some rosemary and thyme and keep the pots on your terrace.

Other versions:

There are literally hundreds of paella recipies. You can use fish stock and fish or vegetable stock and vegetables instead of chicken meat and stock. Check out this recipe for paella sent to us by Angus Wallace.

 

Send us your favourite recipe