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Chicken, chorizo and seafood paella (no added salt - toddler friendly)

Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Spanish
Keyword: batch cooking, rice, weaning
Servings: 6 adults (good sized portions)

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 onions medium diced
  • 4 cloves garlic chopped finely
  • 4 chicken thighs cut into bite-sized chunks
  • 500 g paella rice (roughly 75g per person)
  • 2 400g tins chopped tomatoes
  • 1.2 L water approx (for rice on the softer side)
  • 100 g chorizo chopped
  • 2 tsp pimenton

Optional ingredients

  • 6 small squid sliced into rings
  • 12 prawns
  • 2 fillets hake
  • 2 handfuls frozen peas

Instructions

Pre-cooking prep

  • Find a heavy bottomed pot with a lid. If using the oven method, make sure it's oven safe!
  • Get everything chopped up

Let's start cooking

  • Add your olive oil into your pot on medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until all pieces are not quite cooked through but cooked on the outside
  • Use a spatula or slotted spoon, remove the chicken and set aside leaving the juice/oil in the pot
  • Add the onions and fry for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chorizo and fry for a further 5 minutes or so stirring regularly until the onions have softened
  • Add the rice and fry for a couple of minutes to allow the grains to be coated with all the flavoured oil within the pan
  • Add the chicken back into the pot before adding the tinned tomatoes. Stir to ensure it is well mixed
  • Add water and stir (If you don't want your rice to be very soft then just follow the side of the paella rice packet for volume of water to use)
  • Add pimenton (if using) and stir for a couple of minutes
  • Add the seafood and remaining ingredients except the prawns and stir
  • Once everything is added, arrange your prawns on top in a pattern (or just add the prawns in the previous step if you wish)
  • Lid on and move onto the following steps.

If you're prepping ahead, stop now. Restart before you want to serve up

  • If using hob, bring the paella back up to a boil and turn the heat down.
  • Simmer for about 20 minutes whilst keeping an eye on the water adding a splash more if needed. You should get to a point when most of the water has evaporated and your rice is not al dente (try it!)

Alternate method if not using hob just before serving (needs more time before serving)

  • If you don't have time to watch the hob just before you need to serve (eg little one's bed time!), then put the whole pot in a pre-heated oven at 180C fan for a good 45-60 minutes before serving
  • If your rice is still a bit al dente, the paella may need finishing off for 5-10 minutes on the hob right at the end. Keep an eye on the water, may need to add a splash and stir so it doesn't burn on the bottom

Notes

  • If you want to make the bulk of this recipe ahead of time (earlier in the day when you have a spare half hour), then you can stop the recipe after you have added the prawns on top (if using). Just stop after everything has been added but before simmering/putting into oven just before you eat. Then calculate backwards from when you want to serve up.
  • Recipe is fine for freezing in portions or ice cubes for your little one. Simply microwave to reheat
  • If you want to bulk it out with more vegetables, do! Just medium dice everything and add to the pot. You can use courgettes, carrots, sweetcorn, anything you fancy really.