Ever fancied impressing your friends and family with a home-cooked chicken and seafood paella? With a helping hand from La Tasca’s Executive Chef Anthony Bennett, you can now enjoy this classic Spanish dish whenever you feel like it.

Simply follow these step-by-step instructions and you’ll be having your own slice of La Tasca’s delicious menu in no time.

What you’ll need:

200g of Spanish paella rice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1g of saffron
675ml good quality fish stock
4 small ripe tomatoes
2 medium sized shallots, finely chopped
1 small bell pepper, seeded and diced into 2-3cm chunks
2 medium sized fresh chicken breasts, diced into 2-3cm chunks
200g prepared medium-sized squid, cut into 2cm thick rings
4 large raw peeled prawns
6 fresh large mussels
40g fine green beans, top, tailed and chopped into 2cm
30g garden peas
Pinch of salt & pepper
1 roasted sweet red pepper, cut into quarters to garnish
1 lemon cut into wedges

Method:

1. Score a small cross on the base of each tomato, and blanch them in boiling water, before dropping them into a bowl of ice cold water. Peel away the skin and cut the tomatoes into quarters, and then roughly chop the flesh. Set the chopped tomato aside.

2. Place a Paella pan over a medium-high heat and pour in most of the garlic infused olive oil. When hot add the shallots and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened and sweet.

3. Stir in the peppers and cook for 2 -3 minutes until they become slightly soft then move to the side of the pan. Add the remaining garlic olive oil then the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes until it starts to brown.

4. Stir in the prawns and squid, cook for 3-4 minutes until the squid is white and opaque in colour. Mix all together.

5. Add the diced tomatoes, mussels, almost all of the fish stock (leave 50 to 75ml back), pimentón and the saffron. Mix in the green beans and peas, once the broth is at a rolling boil and the chicken and seafood are cooked through, taste the broth to make sure you are happy with the flavour, and season with salt and pepper if required.

6. Add the Paella rice.

7. Share the rice around the pan carefully using a spoon stirring briefly to make sure the rice is even throughout the pan, and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Arrange the mussels in the pan, pushing them down slightly. From now on remember this rule… move the pan, do not stir the paella.

8. Reduce the heat to medium and place the roasted red pepper quarters on top of the paella – let it cook for 15 minutes, moving the pan around from time to time until the broth has been totally absorbed by the rice. Have the remaining fish stock on hand to gently ladle over the rice if required at any point within the final 5-10 minutes of cooking.

9. Once the broth has totally disappeared, check that the rice is al dente – cooked but with a slight bite, then turn off and let it rest

10. Add the lemons just before serving and fluff up the Paella when you are ready to dish up!

Anthony’s top tip:

“A rest is so important: 15 minutes is my golden rule, however if you have the luxury of waiting up to 45 minutes you will see a notable difference in texture and condensed taste. And I like to enjoy mine with a cold glass of Sangria! Perfecto!”

Bit of a disaster in the kitchen? No worries! You can enjoy Anthony’s signature paella at your nearest La Tasca restaurant – with a tasty 25% off the total bill!

Click here to find a La Tasca near you!