Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a paella dish over medium heat and add chorizo. Fry on both sides until browned, then transfer to a plate. Lower heat and add fennel and red pepper. Cook for about 7-10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until tender. Transfer to a second plate. Add a further 2 Tbsp oil to the pan with the onion. Cook for 7-10 minutes, until tender and lightly browned, then add garlic and cook through for 1 minute.
Add smoked paprika and rice and stir well to coat the rice with the flavourings. The paella can be prepared several hours ahead to this point – it even improves the flavour.
Reheat rice if necessary, add wine, then stir in 3 cups stock, the tomatoes, beans, soaked saffron, lemon juice, salt, a good grinding of black pepper and the red peppers and fennel. Return to a gentle boil and cook uncovered over a medium heat (keep the heat medium to low rather than medium to high) for about 10 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated (the mixture should still be sloppy).
Add chorizo, most of the parsley and remaining hot stock. Cook for a further 5 minutes or so, until rice is just about tender. Do not stir, and let it form a dark brown crust on the bottom (but don’t let it burn). If it looks dry, splash with a little more hot stock or hot water. Remove paella from heat, cover with a clean cloth and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Alternatively, preheat oven to 170°C and transfer paella to oven after adding chorizo. Cook for 10 minutes, or until rice is tender (be careful not to dry it out; add a few tablespoons of hot water if necessary). Cover and rest as described (paella has much more flavour if served warm rather than piping hot).
Meanwhile, in a separate pan, fry prawns in the shell in remaining 1 Tbsp oil until they change colour. Sprinkle with chilli flakes while they cook. Put prawns on top of paella, sprinkle with remaining parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
Cook's tip - Although big paella pans look impressive, it is hard to cook a paella evenly in one over a domestic electric or gas element. The pan we used is 32cm wide and feeds 6 generously. Before use, fill the pan three-quarters full with inexpensive oil and heat it gently, then turn heat off and let pan cool. Pour off the oil (it can be used again for another purpose). Wipe out pan and it’s ready to go. After use, wash well without soap, then rub with oil. As I don’t use my paella pan that often I usually repeat the procedure before use to ensure it doesn’t stick.
- The dark brown crust that forms on the bottom of paella towards the end of cooking, known as socarrat, is delicious, but you need to keep a careful eye on it because there is little separating the rice from the heat – just a thin piece of metal – and it can quickly blacken! An alternative method is to finish cooking the paella in the oven. This version with fennel, red pepper and chorizo may not be how they do it in Valencia – but it tastes pretty damned good.
From Taste magazine, November 2010.
