Chicken & Chorizo Paella

Serves 4 - Ready in about 1 hour

• Low-calorie cooking spray
• onoins, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 100g chorizo, skin removed, thickly sliced or diced
• 3 celery sticks, diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 2 large tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and diced
• 300g dried paella rice
• 4 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
• 4 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tbsp Spanish sweet smoked paprika
• Large pinch of saffron threads
• 200g roasted red peppers in brine from a jar, drained and diced
• 200g frozen peas
• Finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to serve
• Lemon wedges, to serve

1. Spray a paella pan or large non-stick frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium-low heat. Add the onoins, garlic, chorizo, celery and carrot, and stir-fry for 6-8 minutes, or until softened.

2. Add the tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, then add the chicken, tomato puree, smoked paprika and saffron. Pour in enough water to just cover the rice, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. When there is only a little water left in the pan, stir in the peppers and peas. Continue to cook for 5-6 minutes, or until the rice is just tender and the chicken is cooked through. Add a little freshly boiled water if it gets too dry.

4. Season to taste and divide between 4 bowls. Scatter over the parsley and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.

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ALIOLI

Alioli is the garlic laden version of the Spanish mayonnaise, mahonesa, thought to have originated in Mahon, the capital of the island of Menorca. To help stop it separating, have all the ingredients at room temperature, perhaps slightly warming the oil first - then adding in stages, not in a steady stream as some books recommend.

• 4-6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 whole egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 500ml olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

SERVES 4

Put the garlic, egg and egg yolk and lemon juice in a food processor. Blend until pale yellow. Keeping the motor running, slowly pour in the olive oil, a bit at a time. Blend well, until thick and silky, then add salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature with fish or meat.

ALIOLI WITH POTATOES

Put 500g unpeeled new potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold water, add a pinch of salt and boil until tender. Drain and let cool. Slip off the skins, cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces, then serve with alioli as a dip.