Recipe | The Perfect Paella

Everybody loves a steaming hot pan of paella. This authentic seafood and chicken rice dish boasts some of Spain’s finest ingredients, and holds ancient roots that originate from the mid-19th century. Its birthplace is said to be the city of Valencia, where golden sand meets the Mediterranean sea, however locals argue that paella was first cooked in the orchards near Lake Albufera, a freshwater lagoon 11km south of the city.

Pinpointing a truly authentic paella can prove tricky amongst the hustle and bustle of central London, but with the help of our Executive Chef Nacho del Campo, a Basque Country-born specialist, it’s now a doddle to recreate this legendary dish at home.

If you’d prefer to learn from the master himself, Nacho will be hosting Paella Masterclasses all summer long, so sign up to our Camino Club to be notified first about forthcoming dates. Crack open the wine and let’s get cooking…

INGREDIENTS
2 shallots
1 red pepper
3 garlic cloves
3 grated tomatoes
2 bay leaf
4 chicken thighs
8 prawns
150g green beans
500g paella rice
1 litre chicken stock
150ml white wine
lemon
olive oil
salt
tsp sweet paprika
0.1g saffron
150ml white wine

METHOD
Finely chop your shallots, garlic and pepper, then grate the tomatoes.
Chop the chicken thighs into roughly 2cm cubes and brown off in a large pan with some olive oil.
Throw in the chopped shallots, garlic and pepper, then once cooked mix in the paprika and saffron.
Add the rice and white wine and cook for 1 minute, mixing the rice with a wooden or plastic spoon.
Pour in your boiling stock and add in the green beans.
Let the mix cook for roughly 10 minutes, then add your prawns.
Cook for a further 10 minutes and season to taste, before finally decorating with lemon wedges.

Tag us in your paella pics @caminolondon