Chorizo and Cod Paella Traybake from Pull Up A Chair
“Proper paella is a labour of love. My one-pan version is less needy: it is entirely oven baked. Make sure you use a stainless steel or enamelled roasting dish, rather than one made of glass or ceramic, as metal conducts the heat better and will cook the rice accurately. You’ll also get a layer of soccarat – that crispy, caramelized bit on the bottom of the pan – which is arguably the most delicious part of this dish.” Martha Collison, author of Pull Up a Chair
Serves 4
125g (4½oz) cooking chorizo (approximately ½ chorizo ring), sliced
1 onion, diced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
400g (14oz) can chopped tomatoes
150ml (5fl oz) dry white wine
350ml (12fl oz) chicken or vegetable stock
Pinch of saffron (optional)
2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
300g (10½oz) paella rice
100g (3½oz) green beans, sliced into 2cm (¾in) lengths
4 small cod fillets, about 125g (4½oz) each
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Small handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6). In a large roasting tin (about 23 × 33cm/9 × 13in), combine the chorizo, onion and red pepper, then drizzle over the olive oil. Toss to combine, then bake for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Meanwhile, tip the tomatoes into a large measuring jug, followed by the wine and stock (swill out the tomato can with a little of the stock to get all the juices), then add the saffron (if using) and 1 teaspoon of the paprika.
After 15 minutes, remove the roasting tin from the oven and tip in the paella rice. Stir well, then pour in the tomato and stock mixture and stir again. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
Take off the foil and give the rice a good stir, making sure the rice from the centre gets redistributed to the edges (the corners will cook quickest). Stir in the green beans. Arrange the cod fillets on top of the rice, sprinkle with the remaining paprika and some sea salt flakes, then bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, gently mixing the rice once more during this time (without disturbing the cod), until the rice is tender and the cod is cooked through. Add a little extra water if the rice isn’t cooked through at this point. Top the baked rice with wedges of lemon and parsley, then season generously before serving.
