Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 1 red pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• Good pinch saffron threads
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon tomato purée
• 1 quality chorizo sausage, sliced in rounds
• 2 free-range boneless chicken thighs, cut into pieces
• 750mls chicken stock
• 300g medium grain rice
• 100g frozen peas
• 200g frozen peeled raw prawns and calamari
• 8 fresh mussels
• 200g fresh terakihi, cut into pieces
• Aioli
• Lemon

Method

1. Brown the chicken pieces in a large heavy pan with a good dollop of olive oil, salt and pepper – take out chicken, put aside.

2. Make ‘Sofrito’: Add the chopped onion and red pepper to the pan, turn heat down to medium and cook until soft and starting to golden, stirring well at times to incorporate the chicken flavours, then add garlic, saffron, paprika and tomato paste, season well and add a splash of stock, cook until well combined and slightly thickened.

3. Return chicken pieces to the pan and add chorizo, then rice – stir around to colour the rice and distribute evenly around the pan, cook for a few minutes.

4. Bring stock to boil in separate pot, adding salt to taste (depends how flavoursome your stock is), pour carefully over the paella contents.

5. Place seafood and peas, pressing into rice as needed. Bring back up to just bubbling, then reduce to a low simmer for 15 minutes,

6. When rice is cooked take off heat, set aside for 5 minutes. Scatter with chopped flatleaf parsley, and serve with aioli and lemon wedges for squeezing over.

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imagery by @sophieandreassend