STELLAR PAELLA

Like its Spanish creators, this delicious dish is so laid back

Few dishes sing party quite as loudly as paella: the hearty, harmonious rice/vegetable/seafood/ meat combination that originated in Valencia more than 12 centuries ago.

Heated debate regarding the ‘authenticity’ of any given paella recipe abounds, but there are three basic paella rules that apply to every incarnation: firstly, you have to use a large, wide, heavy based pan (preferably a dedicated paella pan, readily available in most kitchen shops). Secondly, the rice must – and I stress must – be paella rice, preferably Spanish (again, very easy to source). And chorizo is never, ever included in a proper Spanish paella... except many home cooks love the smoky, oily depth-charge flavour it brings to the fiesta, so I always, always include it.