Paella Valencia hecho Cat's manera

Ingredients

1 cup of basmati rice  
1pt chicken stock made with a chicken stock cube
1 onion chopped  
2 garlic cloves - sliced  
1 red pepper chopped into strips  
2 small chicken breasts, cubed  
A large cupful of prawns small or large, fresh or frozen ones defrosted, must be shelled, but you can make it pretty with unshelled ones steamed on the top at the end if you like...
4 medium tomatoes, blanched, peeled, pips removed and chopped or lots of cherry tomatoes are fine
A few mushrooms sliced optional
1 large teaspoon of turmeric  
1 large teaspoon of paprika  
1 small glass of white wine optional
2 Limes  
Chopped parsley lemon time is nice too
Olive oil  
Chilli oil optional

Cooking Time 45mins including all that chopping and frying, make in a wok or deep frying pan
Serves Two people

Instructions

First do all the chopping and prepare your tomatoes and everything, cos once you have started frying stuff you dont have much time inbetween ok!

Now all that chopping is done heat your olive oil (and chilli oil if you are using it) in a large wok or frying pan, it needs to be quite deep to take all the liquid. You will need about 3 tablespoons of oil in total.

Gently fry the garlic slices in the oil to flavour it, just for a couple of minutes, and then take them out.

Next slowly fry your onion till it’s nice and squidgy. Add your peppers, mushrooms and chicken and fry till the chicken is white all over. Then add your turmeric and paprika, its important you give these two spices a good fry of they will taste earthy, don’t worry if they stick a bit.

Now sprinkle the cup of rice over and fry the rice with the chicken for a couple of minutes, stirring it round so the rice absorbs the oil. Bung in the tomatoes and this should lift all the gunk off the bottom, fry these for a couple of mins and then pour in all the stock. If you are using wine then add this before the stock and boil the alcohol off before putting the stock in.

Make sure the paella is bubbling gently and poke it now and then till the rice has absorbed all the liquid, you can add salt at this point and it might need quite a lot as the rice soaks up all the flavours. It will take it about 20-30 mins, if the stock has all gone and the rice is still hard just add bits of boiling water till your rice is done. Be careful not to break the rice grains up too much as you go, though its ok if the rice and stock make a bit of yellow sauce when you mix them.

Just before its all done add your prawns, and let them heat through (or cook through if raw) this wont take long and you don’t want to do them too long in case they go rubbery.

The rice should be cooked, but still with texture, and the whole mixture still a bit wet and gloopy.

Must be served with lots of wedges of lime, and sprinkled with chopped parsley if you have any.