When it comes to catering for large groups, the Spaniard have it made

YOU may have a crowd of friends descending on you this bank holiday so I am going to give you a recipe that is easy to cook as long as you have a large wok or pan and remember you can vary the ingredients as to what you like and what is in the shops.
Paella is always one of the most impressive dishes with all the variety of flavours, the wonderful colours and the garnish is always there to impress your friends and family.
To make it a true holiday dish you could go the whole way with a Spanish theme and have gazpacho to start and end with crème caramels. If you do this then remember the sangria. Hola una fiesta!

Paella
I have tried many versions of paella and I think this is the best and most foolproof way. You can add or deduct any ingredient such as swapping chicken for rabbit or changing cockles or mussels for squid, so have a go and leave your own trademark.

Serves 12
Ingredients
One 900g chicken;
Three bay leaves;
A bunch mixed herbs;
Salt and freshly ground black pepper;
Six tomatoes;
One large onion, peeled and chopped;
One garlic clove, peeled and crushed;
Two tablespoons of olive oil;
700g short grain rice;
Half a teaspoon
powdered saffron;
600ml of mussels, scrubbed and beards removed;
225g of chorizo sausage, sliced;
One large red pepper, cored, seeded and diced;
225g of peas, cooked;
450g of peeled prawns;
225g of shelled cockles, cooked;
One tablespoon of
parsley, chopped;
12 large prawns, unpeeled and cooked;
Two lemons.

Method
Put the chicken in a large saucepan with the herbs and salt. Cover with hot water and simmer for about one hour or until cooked.
Remove from the liquid and leave to cool, reserving the stock.
Meanwhile, peel the tomatoes by plunging them into boiling water for a few seconds, running them under cold water and then removing the skins. Cut up the flesh.
Put the onion, garlic and olive oil in a large saucepan and fry for five minutes or until the onion is soft but not brown. Add the rice and saffron and stir well to coat the rice in oil.
Pour in one litre of the chicken stock and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the rice is nearly cooked, adding more liquid if necessary.
Remove the flesh from the chicken carcass and cut into bite-sized pieces.
Pour about 7.5cm of water into a large saucepan and, when boiling, add the mussels.
Cover and boil for three minutes, discarding any mussels that are open to start with, and those that fail to open when cooked.
Strain the water through muslin, then add it to the rice mixture. When the mussels are cool enough to handle, remove the top shell and discard. Set the mussels aside.
Add the sausage, red pepper, peas, peeled prawns, cockles, parsley and seasoning to the nearly cooked rice mixture and stir very well. Cook for a further few minutes to make sure the rice is cooked, adding more liquid if necessary.
It should remain moist. Stir in the mussels, spoon onto a serving dish and garnish with the whole prawns and 12 lemon wedges.

Clare’s Kitchen
41 Chalcot Road
Primrose Hill, NW1
Tel: 020 7586 8433
www.clareskitchen.co.uk