Chicken Wing Paella

A cheap and cheerful Paella that maybe shouldn't be called Paella, but it follows the same cooking methods so what the heck.

Equipment

• Madog Skillet and Lid/foil

Tips

• DONT STIR THE RICE!

• Give the sofrito (tomato base) the time it deserves

• Use your senses to make the perfect socarrat (crispy rice)

Recipe (serves 3-4)

1) Light fire

2) Sweat onion, pepper and garlic in olive oil until sweet and delicious (approx 15-20 mins).

• 1 onion, diced

• 1 red/green pepper, sliced

• 1 garlic clove, finely diced

• Olive oil

3) Add chopped tomatoes, paprika and saffron/turmeric and cook while stirring regularly until it becomes a fairly thick paste. This is called the "sofrito', and it's essential not to rush this stage. This is where the majority of your flavour is coming from.

• 3 fresh tomatoes chopped, or, 1 tin of toms

• 1 heaped teaspoon of paprika

• Small pinch of saffron or turmeric (turmeric isn't authentic but still results in luxurious looking rice)

4) Add the rice and chicken and stir-fry for a minute or two before adding enough stock to cover the rice plus the thickness of a green bean. Simmer on low until cooked (about 20 mins). The goal here is to have the rice absorb all the stock by the time it's cooked. Also, DONT STIR IT! unlike risotto, you want to keep the starch inside the rice so you get nice separate grains. You might need to add more stock during the cooking process.

• 2 handfuls of Paella rice (Bomba and Calasparra are both good) or half fill the pan.

• 3 times chicken stock to rice, maybe 750ml?

• Chicken wings

6) Add green beans 5 minutes before the rice is cooked.

• A handful of Green beans

5) Creating the best part, the socarrat (crispy rice base). If you've had a proper paella then you will undoubtedly remember the crispy rice at the bottom of the pan. If done properly It's the best part of the dish, no matter what meat,, veg or seafood you have in there.

To make the socarrat, you want to increase the heat to medium-high and put a lid over the pan. Listen closely to the pan and when you hear the rice start cracking cook for a further 30 seconds, or until you hear the cracking slow down, then take it off the heat and allow the rice to steam for 10 minutes. This 10 minutes is bloody difficult but it's worth the wait.

6) Remove the lid, squeeze lemon all over the rice and eat it straight out the pan.

• 1 Lemon cut into wedges