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Paella

by Marie-Pierre Moine |
Published on

Preparation Time

1 hour 20

Serves

4-6

Nutrition

N/A

Puree

Blend some of the cooked chicken and rice until smooth - add some rice for texture.

Finger Food

Let your baby pick at pieces of chicken, prawn and pepper.

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp olive oil

  • 400g skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 150g chorizo, sliced

  • 1 large onion, diced

  • 1 large red pepper, deseeded and sliced

  • 400g paella rice or other short-grain rice

  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • 2 large pinches of saffron threads, soaked in

  • 100ml hot water for 10 minutes

  • 400g can chopped tomatoes

  • 125g French beans, cut into 2cm slices

  • 300g small mussels, scrubbed and debearded (discard any that do not open)

  • 300g raw, unpeeled king prawns, deveined and legs removed

  • 1–2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

You can swap in different ingredients in this classic Spanish dish to suit your toddler’s food preferences

  1. Heat the oil in a wide heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat, add the chicken and seasoning, and cook for 10–12 minutes until browned all over.

  2. Remove and set aside on a large plate lined with a double layer of kitchen paper.

  3. Cook the chorizo for 1–2 minutes on each side until browned. Remove and set aside.

  4. Add the onion and red pepper to the pan and cook for 5–7 minutes until soft. Add the rice and stir, so all the grains are coated, and cook for 2–3 minutes.

  5. Stir in 900ml water, then the garlic, saffron with its soaking liquid, and plenty of seasoning. Push the chicken pieces down into the rice.

  6. Place the chorizo slices in the pan, followed by the tomatoes and beans, and bring to the boil. Simmer on a low heat, uncovered, for about 30 minutes until all the liquid has evaporated and the rice is al dente. Do no stir or the rice will become sticky.

  7. Add the seafood for the last 15 minutes, cover, and cook until the mussels open and the prawns turn pink. It's important that you cook the prawn through completely to make them safe for your baby. Remove from the heat and discard any unopened mussels. Cover with a kitchen towel and leave for 5 minutes. Garnish and serve.

This recipe is from Mediterranean Cookbook Editor-in-Chief Marie-Pierre Moine (DK, £20) dk.com

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