3BM Kitchen : Paella...

Most of my very favourite childhood memories are set during the three week long holidays we used spend as little girls in Macaret, a small Spanish fishing village in Menorca. We'd go back every year to the same villa, in the same little square and pick up exactly where we left off.

The locals would always be there to greet us, we'd get fresh pastries from the same bakery each morning, play with the same local children all day and evening and eat at the same restaurant every night which boasted the most delicious Spanish food served up in the most beautiful Menorcan crockery. Everyone would be gobsmacked to see the three little blonde English sisters shaking their heads to eggs and chips and instead digging into bowls of fresh chiperoni (baby squid) and steaming plates of paella! Our love for real food started from a very young age!!

As us London Mice have just returned from another lovely trip and are in need of a little of the holiday spirit to get us through the first few dark days back in the office, we thought we'd pay homage to one of our favourite dishes of all time - paella!

This is a super easy one to make, and in my opinion you simply can't beat a big bowl of this deliciousness all washed down by a chilled glass of wine! If only we could also magic ourselves back to Macaret we'd be in pure heaven!! However for now this will do...


You Need (for 4 people)...

300g paella rice
2 packets pancetta cubes
1 chorizo (sliced)
100g frozen peas
½ teaspoon saffron strands
500ml chicken stock
1 onion (finely chopped)
3 cloves garlic (crushed)
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

4 chicken breasts (cut into cubes)
100g king prawns
½ lemon juiced

How To...

1. Heat the oil in a wide paella dish ideally (otherwise use a normal pan as we had to!) on a medium heat and add the onion. 

2. Cook the onion for a few mins then add the chopped garlic. 

3. Add the chorizo and pancetta and cook for 5 mins. 

4. Add the chicken and cook for approx 10 mins until the chicken is cooked.

5. Prepare your stock, add the saffron and stir

6. Season with salt and pepper and add the saffron-scented chicken stock, rice, peas and prawns. 

7. Cook for 15-25 minutes on a medium heat stirring occasionally until the rice has absorbed the stock and the peas and prawns are cooked.

8. Stir in the lemon juice and serve.