Paella

Paella
serves 4

Ingredients
12 black mussels
125ml/4fl oz white wine
11/2 small red onions, chopped
125ml/4fl oz olive oil
1 small skinless chicken breast
fillet, cut into bite-size pieces
12 raw prawns, peeled and deveined
100g/4oz cleaned squid rings
100g/4oz skinless cod fillet, cut
into bite-size cubes
1 rasher smoked back bacon, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 tomato, peeled and chopped
75g/3oz chorizo, thinly sliced
pinch of cayenne pepper
200g/7oz long-grain rice
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
500ml/18fl oz chicken stock
75g/3oz fresh peas
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh
flat-leaf parsley
salt and ground black pepper

• Scrub the mussels with a stiff brush and pull out the hairy beards.Discard any broken mussels or open ones that do not close when tapped on the work surface.
• Heat the wine and onion in a large pan. Add the mussels, cover and gently shake the pan for 4–5 minutes over a high heat. After 3 minutes, begin removing any opened mussels and set aside. At the end of 5 minutes, discard any unopened mussels. Reserve the cooking liquid.
• Heat half the oil in a large frying pan. Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper, then cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the prawns, squid and cod to the pan, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Heat the remaining oil in the same pan. Add the bacon, garlic and red pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the tomato, chorizo and cayenne.Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the reserved cooking liquid, then add the rice and mix well.
• In a heavy saucepan, blend the saffron with the stock and mix well. Bring slowly to the boil. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, without stirring.
• Put the peas, chicken, prawns, squid and cod on top of the rice. Using a wooden spoon, push pieces into the rice, cover and cook over a low heat for 10–15 minutes until the rice is tender and seafood cooked. Add the mussels for the last 2 minutes to heat. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

Red Fried Rice

Red Fried Rice
serves 2

Ingredients
100g/4oz basmati rice
2 tablespoons groundnut oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
225g/8oz cherry tomatoes, halved
2 eggs, beaten
salt and freshly ground
black pepper

• Put the rice in a colander, and rinse under cold running water. Drain well. Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil, add the rice and cook for 10–12 minutes until tender.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wok until very hot. Add the onion and red pepper, and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, and stir-fry for a further 2 minutes. Pour in the eggs. Cook for 30 seconds without stirring, then stir to break up the egg as it sets.
• Drain the cooked rice thoroughly, add to the wok and toss it over the heat with the vegetable and egg mixture for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and serve hot.