World on a Plate: Spanish (+recipe)

Flag of Spain. Photo / Thinkstock

Paella Valenciana

The paella recipe Miguel Leon is demonstrating at Auckland Museum's Kai to Pie Exhibition today was passed down the family line by his grandfather and father.

serves 4

Olive oil
500g chicken breasts, cut into chunks
500g boneless pork, diced
Salt and pepper
60g cooked chorizo, cut into chunks
2 tsp minced garlic
200g onions, chopped fine
2 medium ripe chopped tomatoes
8 cups of hot water
100g of peas
1 red, green and yellow bell pepper cut into thin strips
100g green beans
1 tsp, level, of saffron
1 tsp, level, of sweet paprika
1 tsp, level, of cumin
3 cups of Spanish rice
10 uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
10 mussels
1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1 Heat the paella pan over a medium to high heat then add some of the oil, chicken and pork and season. Fry for a few minutes, stirring until evenly cooked.

2 Stir in the chorizo and cook for a minute. Add garlic and onions.

3 Add the tomatoes in the middle of the pan and then mix.

4 Add water to just below the rim top of pan, wait 10 minutes then add peppers, beans, peas, saffron, paprika and cumin; cook for about 10 minutes.

5 Stir in rice and cook for five minutes, then add shrimp, mussels and rosemary. Cook for 10 minutes on high, then 10 minutes on low. Sit for 10 minutes before serving.