Chop the chorizo into rounds and set aside with the prawns.
Dice the onions, roughly chop the red pepper and grate the tomatoes and set aside.
In a wide based frying pan or paella pan pour in the olive oil, salt liberally and put on a high heat.
Quickly fry off the prawns until fully cooked and set aside to avoid overcooking.
Next fry off the chorizo until browned, add the onions, red peppers and peas and cook until browned also.
Add the minced garlic and paprika and toast for 1min. From this point on try to stir as little as possible.
Add the grated tomatoes along with the bay leaf and stock and bring to a boil.
Once it boils add the rice and cook on a high heat for 10min.
Turn down to a medium heat and cook until the rice is done.
Once the stock drops below the rice add the prawns back in, remove from the heat and cover to rest for 10min.
Serve with a sprinkling of freshly chopped parsley and a lemon wedge.
Chefs Tips
Traditionally paella would feature saffron, the most expensive spice in the world. This recipe however doesn’t include it as it’s not very accessible to your average home cook.
The key to a great paella is stirring as little as possible. This will ensure that the rice doesn’t release starch and become stodgy. It also ensures that you achieve the distinctive socarrat (the crusty, crunchy base) at the bottom of the pan that sets this dish apart from other rice dishes.
This can be changed up by using various proteins so get creative with it.