The Joys of Outdoor Dining

Our favourite lunch spot, under one of our two legendary lime trees, is in the midst of a makeover. Having removed an unsightly, crooked and gnarled old accacia tree, we were left with the perfect spot for a new summer border. After a great deal of heavy graft and much muscle removing the best part of a century's worth of creeping 'hypericum', the planting is finished and it is going to be stunning. As is always the case with major housekeeping, the areas around about, including the dining space, suddenly looked rather scruffy in comparison. Gone is the dark bark underfoot, the scourge of autumn when the piles of newly raked leaves find their way to the compost heap, to be replaced by a soft, pale gravel mix the colour of light honey. It arrives a week on Tuesday. Suddenly, the space seems bigger and brighter and perfect for cooking as well as eating.

The authentic Spanish 'plancha', which weighs a ton, is about to be moved from its location next to the house down here so that the poor cook can share in the pre-prandial conversation and 'aperros'. We have two paella pans, one for small, intimate suppers and the other for grander entertaining, the perfect way to produce the ultimate 'one pan' supper. I love to experiment with different paella recipes, depending on what's available and the tastes of one's house guests.

The authentic recipe comes from Valencia, where the area north of the Costa Blanca still has an extensive area of rice fields. Rabbit and chicken forms the basis of this recipe, with the addition of some ripe chopped fresh tomatoes, white lima beans and wide green beans, but no fish. A seafood paella would be an entirely different dish. It is only us 'sangria' fuelled tourists that like to mix the two! I am as guilty as the next person in enjoying the thrill of 'mix and match' paellas.

My basic recipe for 8-10 people would consist, more or less, of two corn-fed chickens, chopped into 8 pieces each [or 2 chicken thighs per person if you can't be faffed to chop up whole chickens], half a kilo of prawns, half a kilo of mussels and half a kilo of clams, if you can find them. Sadly, having developed a really nasty allergy to squid, camping on a beach in Paros in 1976, neither of us is able to stomach the addition of this delicious ingredient. I thoroughly recommend calamares if you are not so adversely afflicted!


BASIC RECIPE

2 Gers corn-fed chickens, jointed [or 2 medium sized rabbits, jointed]
500g large prawns, heads removed and de-veined. Cook the heads in a little water and bash down with a potato masher to extract juices. Strain and reserve.
500g mussels, de-bearded and thoroughly scrubbed
500g scrubbed clams
500 g calamares, optional
2 large Spanish onions, chopped
1 head garlic, individual cloves finely chopped
2 red chillies, finely chopped
glass dry sherry
pinch saffron threads
150g green beans, topped and tailed and cut in half
bag frozen peas
good pinch sweet paprika
olive oil [non-virgin], enough to cover the base of the pan
approximately 2 litres homemade chicken stock [equal to double the quantity of rice person]
half a mug Spanish paella rice per person
4 freshly chopped tomatoes
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 whole prawns, added just before the end of cooking to warm through to serve
2 lemons cut into wedges to serve
black olives to serve, optional
masses of flat leaf parsley to serve

Basic method

Heat the oil and fry the meat until lightly browned. Add the onion, garlic and copped chillies and cook gently for a few minutes. Make a space in the middle for the chopped tomatoes and cook quickly, until they resemble a rough paste. Add the rice, saffron, sherry, strained juices from the prawn heads, paprika and chicken stock and leave to cook undisturbed. Make sure all the rice is covered with liquid.

After 10 minutes, fold in the green beans, prawns, mussels and clams. After 15 minutes, add the frozen peas.

Continue cooking until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Season to taste.

Remove from the heat and allow to stand for 10 minutes, covered in cooking parchment.

Decorate with lemon wedges, black olives if desired, and flat leaf parsley before allowing everyone to dive in! Delicious!


ALTERNATIVE /ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS

Monkfish, scallops, lobster [if you're feeling flush!], mixed white fish, squid
Serrano ham and/or chorizo
Artichoke hearts, red/green/yellow peppers, red bell peppers, green chillies, mushrooms, juicy tomatoes, asparagus
Broad beans, white beans
Arroz negro instead of regular paella rice
Hot chilli flakes
Sherry, thyme, basil
Butter and Manchego or Parmesan cheese
Rosemary, cumin, oregano
Black and green olives