Real Paella Not Risotto

Ingredients

Directions

1. 1

   You wil need a large "paella" pan with a diameter of no less than 2ft, preferably 3ft. This is a nice and usefull souvenir to buy on your next holiday in Spain.

2. 2

   Heat your paella pan on a gas fire or outside on a charcoal fire.

3. 3

   Add the oil and garlic cloves.

4. 4

   Once the oil is hot and the garlic is frying but not yet brown, add the green beans and mix with a big wooden spoon.

5. 5

   Once the beans have been in the hot pan for a minute or two and are nicely covered with the garlicky oil, move them with help of the spoon to the outer edge of the pan - thus creating an empty space in the middle into which the raw rice is placed.

6. 6

   Pour over the rice the olive oil and gently stir the rice in the middle of the pan for one minute.

7. 7

   Then with same big wooden spoon, mix your rice and beans and once mixed spread it evenly in the pan.

8. 8

   immediately, before things start burning, pour your chicken stock into the pan and once again make sure your rice and beans are more or less evenly spread in the pan.

9. 9

   This is the last time the rice is touched before serving. Never ever stir again (a sacrilege in Spain!).

10. 10

    Now evenly place your chopped meat into the boiling chicken stock containing the rice and beans.

11. 11

    Then take your strips of paprika and decorate the paella by laying them once around the pan and also in diagonal spokes (just like a bicycle wheel).

12. 12

    Let the chicken stock reduce and the rice start appearing and before things run dry or the rice is cooked - take tha pan off the fire and cover with newspaper.

13. 13

    The paella is now in "tiempo de reposo" or "resting time" which will take 5 minutes. In this time, the rice will soak up the rest of the stock and be just right or "en su punto" as Spaniards would say. Just right means not overcooked and ith the slightest bit of crunch still left in them.