Spanish recipes Archives

One for the garlic lovers, king prawns are coated in smoked paprika and cooked hard and fast in a heavenly garlic and chilli oil. Best served with slices of focaccia to help mop up all those juices.

Gambas pil pil – otherwise known as shrimp in garlic oil – holds a special place in my heart as it was one of the tapas dishes I cooked as part of my first private catering gig.

A last-minute request for it meant I had to make it up on the fly, but it was such a hit that I’ve probably made it a dozen times for friends and family. Possibly more.

It’s supposed to be for sharing, but I’m yet to meet a seafood lover who couldn’t devour a whole bowl of the prawns on their own.

Go easy on the chilli, but hard on the garlic and smoked paprika to evoke the flavours of Spain.

Be sure to reserve the prawn heads and shells and add them to the pan to inject as much flavour into the sauce as you can. It’s so good you’ll want some focaccia or crusty bread to help mop up all those juices.

Tips & Notes To Know

Avoid pre-cooked prawns: They turn rubbery and shrivel up when reheated in the sauce.
Frozen seafood does not mean inferior: Frozen prawns are not only cheaper than fresh, but they are often better quality as they are frozen soon after being caught or harvested. To cook with, simply thaw the prawns in the fridge or under cold running water. Just remember to pat dry with kitchen roll before pan-frying, otherwise they’ll steam, rather than colour.
Devein your prawns: It’s a bit of a faff, but it is worth removing the dark vein on the back of the prawn as it can taste gritty or bitter if left in.
Add a touch of sherry: For a deeper, more complex flavour, you can add a splash of Spanish sherry (like dry Fino) to the oil after cooking the prawns. It adds a lovely richness to the garlic and chilli sauce.
Serve as a main meal: While gambas pil pil is traditionally served as a tapas dish, you can easily turn it into a main course with a side of rice or pasta.

Gambas pil pil

Serves: 2 Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 5 mins 5 mins

Ingredients

8 raw king prawns, heads on
3 tbsp olive oil
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, 1 crushed, 2 finely sliced
1/2 heaped tsp smoked paprika
1 lemon, 1/2 juiced, 1/2 cut into wedges
1 tsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

To serve
Focaccia bread, cut into slices

Instructions

Step 1
Peel the prawns, leaving the tails on and reserving half the shells and heads (use the rest to make my scallops with parsnip purée, chorizo crumb and prawn oil recipe).

Step 2
Devein the prawns and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the prawn heads and shells. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes to flavour the oil, pushing down on the heads to extract as much flavour as possible. Remove the shells and heads and discard.

Step 3
Add the red chilli and grated garlic to the oil and leave to sizzle for 30 seconds, stirring occasionally to stop it from burning.

Step 4
Add the prawns, smoked paprika and garlic slices and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until the prawns start to turn pink. Squeeze in the lemon juice to taste and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until the prawns are cooked through, then remove the pan from the heat and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with focaccia and lemon wedges on the side.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Buy Sustainable Prawns?

Look for the Marine Stewardship Council Certification (MSC). The label identifies fish and seafood that has been caught in a sustainable way.

The best choices are updated every six months on mcsuk.org. You will usually see the blue tick logo on the packaging. If you can’t see it, ask your fishmonger.

How Do I Stop Prawns From Overcooking And Shrivelling Up?

Prawns curl up because of muscle contractions on their abdomen. To prevent this, make two tiny incisions – about 1/4 inch deep – with a sharp knife on the underside of each prawn.

The safe internal temperature of a cooked prawn is 63C, as per the USDA, but that’s really just a reference. Your best indicator for whether a prawn is fully cooked or not is colour. A raw prawn is translucent grey, but when it is cooked it turns opaque white with tinges of pink and orange.

This protein-packed paella is the definition of a one-pot wonder. Serve it straight from the pan and let your guests help themselves.

A paella is such a wondrous thing, isn’t it? The mixture of colours and spice, the gorgeously crispy bottom, and all those little surprises that sit nestled among the saffron-infused rice.

It is one of those dishes that demands plenty of attempts to really nail the socarrat (the caramelised crust that everyone loves), but I can’t imagine anyone would ever get bored of eating paella on repeat. There are so many variations in Spain that you can go all in on the seafood or even swap out the proteins for a vegan-forward paella.

To keep the meat and seafood lovers happy, I’ve opted for a classic paella mixta – a combination of chicken, chorizo and king prawns – and bulked it out with peppers, peas and cherry tomatoes. It serves 4 generously and is best served at the table, so everyone can help themselves and fight over the last remaining prawns.

Below, I’ve shared a few of my favourite tips and tricks to help you nail the cook on the paella (and socarrat) first time. If you have any questions of your own, let me know in the comment section.

How To Make My Chicken, Chorizo And Prawn Paella

Chef Catling’s recipe notes
Recipe: Chicken, chorizo and prawn paella
Frequently asked questions

Tips & Notes To Know

Use a wide, shallow pan: You’ll be pleased to know that an authentic paella pan is not essential, but you can’t get away with using a deep pot or casserole dish. Both are designed to trap steam which will then ruin the rice’s texture.
Don’t stir after adding the stock: You’re not making a risotto here. Once the broth is in, hands off. You want a lively simmer, not a slow braise, so let the rice cook undisturbed to form the perfect texture.
Cook with confidence: The caramelised bit at the bottom of the rice (socarrat) is the most prized part of a paella. It’s created when the rice absorbs the stock and the liquid evaporates, causing the bottom layer to crisp up. Listen carefully – you should hear a gentle crackling sound, not aggressive frying, towards the end of cooking.
Visual check: You can see whether the socarrat has formed by gently lifting the rice with a spoon or spatula from the bottom. It should smell smoky, not burned, so trust your instinct and make sure you rest your paella after cooking. That will give the socarrat time to set properly.

Chicken, chorizo and prawn paella

Serves: 4 Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 45 mins 45 mins

Ingredients

Large pinch of saffron
1 tbsp olive oil
400g skinless chicken thighs, cut into small chunks
1 large brown onion, finely chopped
100g chorizo (mild), diced
1 red pepper, cut into small chunks
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/2 heaped tbsp smoked paprika
300g Spanish paella rice
600ml hot chicken stock
1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
100g large handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
12 raw king prawns, shell on
100g frozen garden peas

To Serve
Small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions

Step 1
Steep the saffron in a bowl with a splash of hot water and leave to infuse.

Step 2
Heat the olive oil in a paella pan or a deep frying pan. Add the chicken and fry over a medium-to-high heat until golden; about 4-5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Step 3
Turn the heat down slightly and add the onion and chorizo to the same pan. Fry for about 3 minutes or until crisp and the chorizo oil has been released.

Step 4
Tip in the red pepper, garlic, celery salt and smoked paprika and stir-fry for a further 1-2 minutes. The pan should have lots of crispy bits on the bottom, which will add flavour.

Step 5
With the heat still quite high, stir in the paella rice and chicken so they are well-coated in the oil, then pour over the saffron-infused liquid, chopped tomatoes and the chicken stock, scraping up the sticky brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

Step 6
Cook vigorously for 3 minutes, then reduce to a low-to-medium heat so everything is gently simmering. This is not a risotto, so do not stir.

Step 7
After 20 minutes, shake the pan slightly and evenly distribute the cherry tomatoes, prawns and peas over the top. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the rice is tender, the prawns are just cooked through, and most of the liquid in the pan has been absorbed.

Step 8
Taste the paella – if the rice is still too chalky but the pan is dry, add a splash more stock and continue to cook. If it’s too soupy, increase the heat to cook off the last of the liquid.

Step 9
For the last 3 minutes, increase the heat slightly to medium-high. Listen for a gentle crackling sound—that’s the socarrat forming. You'll know it's done if the bottom feels slightly resistant when nudged with a spoon. If unsure, tilt the pan slightly—if it’s dry and crackly at the bottom, you’ve nailed it.

Step 10
Remove the pan from the heat and cover with a tea towel or foil. Leave to sit for 5 minutes. Season generously with sea salt and scatter over the chopped parsley.

Step 10
Serve the paella straight from the pan, with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over.

Did You Make This Recipe?

Tag me on Instagram at @Chef_Catling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Use Basmati Rice Instead Of Bomba Paella Rice?
I wouldn’t recommend that you do. Short-grain rice like Bomba rice is favoured due to its ability to absorb a lot of liquid (around three times its volume in liquid) without becoming mushy, which gives paella its signature texture.

Basmati rice does not absorb liquid in the same way and because the grains tend to remain separate and fluffy, that makes it really challenging to form that delicious crispy layer at the bottom.

What Should I Do If My Paella Rice Is Still Chalky After Cooking?

Add a little extra stock or water around the edges. Cover the pan loosely with tinfoil and let it steam over a low heat for a few more minutes.

How Do I Buy Sustainable Prawns?

Look for the Marine Stewardship Council Certification (MSC). The label identifies fish and seafood that has been caught in a sustainable way.

The best choices are updated every six months on mcsuk.org. You will usually see the blue tick logo on the packaging. If you can’t see it, ask your fishmonger.

How Do I Stop Prawns From Overcooking And Shrivelling Up?

Prawns curl up because of muscle contractions on their abdomen. To prevent this, make two tiny incisions – about 1/4 inch deep – with a sharp knife on the underside of each prawn.

What Is Saffron?

Sometimes referred to as red gold, saffron is the world’s most expensive spice per gram. It is harvested from the crocus flower, which blooms for just a short period each year and produces only three red stigmas. These are then hand-picked, dried, and sold as saffron, hence the price tag.

A little goes a long way, so use sparingly (about 5-10 threads of saffron) to add an earthy, floral flavour.

How Do You Use Saffron In A Dish?

Soak the saffron threads in a small amount of warm water or stock for about 10-15 minutes. This helps to release the distinct golden colour and floral flavour, making it more potent. Add a little at a time if you are unsure, as too much will overpower the dish.