Paella, my way

I've been promising you my recipe for paella for a while, so finally, here it is! I'm not saying this is The Way, but it's my way, and it turned out really good. I made this while we were in Spain, and we have a great big electric paella pan there. It's really perfect for this, but you can certainly make it in any big frying pan. Just make sure you have a lid.

I like to eat this with lots of garlicky allioli, which is the Spanish version of aïoli. It's always the first thing I buy when we're there - a little bright yellow jar, incredibly yummy.

Paella, my way
serves 4-5

3 small, raw chorizo sausages, chopped
1 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1,5 litre water
2 cubes chicken stock (bouillon cubes)
300 ml risotto rice (I prefer avorio)
1/2 g saffron
1/2 red pepper, diced
100 ml green peas (frozen are fine)
1 kg mussels, cleaned
1/2 kg shrimp, prawns or langoustines
some cooked chicken (optional)
lemon wedges, to serve
allioli, to serve



Start by frying the chorizo sausage in a paella pan, or a very large frying pan. It should get some color. Add the onion and garlic and fry for an additional minute or two.

Add water, chicken stock cubes, rice and saffron. Cover with a lid and cook over medium heat until the rice is softened. Add the pepper and peas when you have a few minutes left. When the rice feels soft, add mussels and shrimp and cover with the lid. Wait for five minutes, by which time the mussels should be opened. (If they're not, I'm not taking any chances, so out they go.)

Serve straight away, with lemon wedges and allioli. Add some cooked chicken at the end if you'd like, instead of or in addition to the seafood.

Recipe in Swedish:
Paella på mitt sätt