Weekend Recipe: Leon’s Paella Deli Salad

SERVES 4
PREP TIME: 30 MINS (plus soaking) COOK TIME: 20 MINS
WF GF DF (check chorizo for dairy products)

A taste of Spain, at your dinner table. This is one of the longest recipes in this little book, but it is basically an assembly job once the rice is cooked, and it couldn’t be more worth it. The ingredients here are just suggestions – you could substitute cooked squid rings, mussels, fish or chickpeas and different vegetables.

a pinch of saffron
250g (9oz) long-grain rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
350ml (12fl oz) gluten-free chicken stock
100g (3½oz) cured chorizo salami (not cooking chorizo), in either thin slices or chunks
100g (3½oz) artichoke hearts, sliced
200g (7oz) prawns, cooked
150g (5½oz) peas, cooked
150g (5½oz) French beans, cooked
100g (3½oz) piquillo pepper strips
1 orange, cut into slices
2 tablespoons chopped fresh
flat-leaf parsley
fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, to garnish
salt and freshly ground black pepper

DRESSING:

1 teaspoon sweet paprika
grated zest of 1 orange
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil

Soak the saffron in 50ml (1¾fl oz) of very hot water. Rinse the rice with cold water, then leave it, covered, in water to soak for 30 minutes. Drain well.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan and cook the onion for 5 minutes. Tip in the drained rice with the smoked paprika and cook for a minute, seasoning with salt and pepper and coating the rice with oil. Add the soaked saffron and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cover, then allow to cook for about 15 minutes. Leave to stand for 5 minutes before fluffing up with a fork. Tip out of the pan and leave to cool.

While the rice is cooking, whisk together the dressing ingredients and season. Prepare all the other ingredients for the paella.

Layer your ingredients up on a large serving plate, seasoning as you go. Scatter the rice over the plate, then top with the other ingredients, finishing with the orange slices and parsley leaves. Drizzle with the dressing.

Tip: This would also be stunning made with cooked black rice.

Recipe from Leon Happy Salads by Jane Baxter and John Vincent, available here