Spring Veg & Seafood Paella

Ingredients

(serves 12)

• 6 chicken thighs, cut into four pieces each & marinate
• 500g Australian green prawns, peeled & marinate
• 250g Speck, cut into lardons
• 6 large unpeeled green prawns
• 300g broad beans, outer skin removed
• 1 bunched asparagus, blanched & sliced
• Handful green beans, blanched & sliced in half
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp parsley, chopped
• 600g paella rice
• 2 good pinches of saffron
• 3 tbsp dill, chopped
• 200g fresh or frozen peas
• 200g mussels (about 20)
• 2½ -3L chicken stock
• 2 stalks celery, finely sliced
• ¼ fennel bulb, finely diced
• 2 lemon zest & juice
• 2 onions, finely diced
• 2 lemons, cut into wedges

          For the Chicken Marinade

• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 4 sprigs marjoram or oregano, chopped
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Zest of ½ lemon
• 20ml olive oil
• Salt & pepper

For the Prawn Marinade

• Juice ½ lemon
• Zest ½ lemon
• 20ml olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 3 tbsp dill, freshly chopped
• Salt & pepper
  
  

Method
For the Chicken Marinade

 

Combine all ingredients together and marinate for ½ hour.

 

For the Prawn Marinade

 

Combine all ingredients together and marinate for ½ hour. 

 

Heat a little olive oil in a paella pan & fry the chicken thighs until golden brown. Remove & set aside. Add a little olive oil & sauté the speck, onions & garlic, add the celery & fennel & fry very gently until soft, about 10-15mins. Stir in the rice, saffron & lemon zest, then add the stock & simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20mins on medium heat until the rice is nearly cooked & season with salt & pepper. Add the chicken, prawns, mussels, lemon juice & cook until the rice is just cooked through & the prawns are cooked. Sprinkle over the peas, broad beans, beans & asparagus & cover with foil to heat through. Sprinkle over the herbs & arrange the lemon slices & serve hot. Garnish with a few cherry tomato halves.