Valencian Prawn Paella

-Serves 3-4

It's vibrant, nourishing and without pretension - it's my friend Judith's traditional Paella recipe all the way from Valencia. I replicated the dish the day after I had it at Judith's house and trust me, this recipe is so seriously good I now make it at least once a month. You don't need a traditional paella pan for this recipe but do make sure you use the best ingredients you can find - good stock and wild-caught prawn are key! Happy cooking :)

Traditional Valencia Paella - check out our short Instagram video here!!

Recipe courtesy: Judith von Prockl (www.gourmetontour.com)

Ingredients for Valencian Prawn Paella

3-4 tablespoons Papa's Grove olive oil
150g French shallots, thinly sliced
150g green beans, chopped into 1cm
pieces
90g drained butter beans, optional
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
115g roast red peppers, diced into small
cubes
200g chopped Roma Tomatoes
1 pinch good quality saffron, soaked
1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
250g Spanish Bomba or Calasparra rice (or
Arborio)
freshly ground black pepper
750ml good-quality chicken or seafood
stock
1 sprig rosemary
15 large prawns
lemon wedges, to serve
chopped parsley, to serve

Recipe

Heat 3-4 tablespoons olive oil in a paella pan over medium heat – add shallots and fry until lightly golden.
Next, add green beans and fry until beans take on some colour. Next add butter beans – stir well. Add garlic – fry until fragrant.
Add chopped roast peppers, tomato puree, 1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika and saffron – stir well and cook for a few minutes.
Add rice – stir for about 2-3 minutes making sure all the grains are coated in sauce.
Season with black pepper and pour in 750ml chicken or seafood stock. Add rosemary -stir well. Taste stock and add salt accordingly to season it.
Bring to the boil, and cook over low heat, shaking the pan occasionally (using its handles), for 10-15 minutes until there is very little water left in the pan. At this point, if the rice still looks a bit white and undercooked, add a little more broth or water. Continue to cook until there is very little water left in the pan. Lay prawns on top of the rice.
Reduce heat to low and cook on low heat for another 10-15 minutes untouched (or longer until the rice is fully cooked). Discard rosemary. Let paella stand for a few minutes before serving.
Garnish with chopped parsley and serve hot with lemon wedges on the side. The best and the most treasured part of a paella is the "Socarrat" - the crunchy, caramelized crust of rice stuck to the bottom of the pan. Do remember to scrape it off the bottom of the pan when serving.