Mixed Paella

Paella, which has its origins in Valencia, is a very grateful dish. I really enjoy preparing it, serving it and eating it. You can make it with whatever you like (rabbit, chicken, shellfish, sausage, frogs or snails). Served in a big paella pan it looks and smells fabulous and it's a great dish to dig in with the whole family. There are many different types of paella, but this one has everything I like in it.

Serves 6

- good splash of olive oil

- 1 onion, finely chopped

- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

- 600 g semi-long grain rice or short grain rice (like risotto rice)

- about 0,8 l stock

- 6 chicken drumsticks

- 1 red pepper, chopped

- 1-2 g saffron

- 1 small and thin dry sausage like a dry salami, cut in thick coin sized slices

- 2 tomatoes, deseeded and chopped- 2 handfuls of peas (frozen will do)

- (15 mussels)

- 12-15 big prawns
- handful of parsley, finely chopped
- pepper, salt

- 1 lemon, cut in wedges

If possible use a big paella pan. This is a wide, shallow, thin base pan. If you don't have a paella pan, just use a big frying pan or a wok.

Start with sauteing onions and garlic on medium heat in some olive oil. When translucent add chopped red pepper and rice and stir until it's coated with oil.

Add some ladlesful of stock and stir. Let it come to a gentle boil and when all the fluid has been absorbed, add some more stock.

Roast your saffron in a dry hot pan. Then crumble it in the rice an stir.

In the meantime fry the seasoned chicken in a separate pan and keep warm (in some aluminum foil or on low heat in the oven) when crispy.

When the rice is close to being "al dente" add the sausage.

Fry the seasoned prawns in some olive oil.

Cook the mussels in their shells.

A few minutes before serving, add peas and tomato.

Taste and, if necessary, season with salt and pepper.

A few minutes later stir in tomato and peas.

Finish off with the chopped parsley.

Arrange drum sticks, prawns, mussels and lemon on top of the rice and serve. 

Slow roast Leg of Lamb with Rosemary, Sweet Cloves of Garlic, Anchovies and Lemon with a Vegetable Jus

- 1 leg of lamb, bone-in (about 2 kilo's, serves 6)

- 1 tin anchovies

- 1 salted lemon, chopped
- 1 handful of rosemary
- about 5 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- splash of water or wine
- pepper and salt
- 5 shallots or 2 onions
- 2 carrots
- 2 small potatoes, cut in four
- 2 celery sticks
- thyme
- handful of cherry tomatoes
- 1 tbsp honey

Before starting the preparation of your leg of lamb, let the meat come to room temperature first (this can take a couple of hours).
Make small but deep cuts with a knife and fill half of the pockets with some rosemary and garlic and the other half with anchovies and lemon. Just use your finger to push it inside and close the flesh afterwards. Rub your lamb with some olive oil and then with salt and pepper.
You need a casserole that is big enough for the whole leg. Add some olive oil to the casserole and, on the stove, brown the lamb all over. Take the leg out and saute the carrots, onions, celery and potatoes for a few minutes. Add thyme and a splash of white wine or water and put the lamb on top. Put the casserole with the lid on in a preheated oven (160 °C) and leave it there for four hours.
Half an hour before the dish is ready add some cherry tomatoes and honey and return to the oven for 30 minutes. Take casserole out of the oven en let the meat rest for about 15 minutes.
While the meat is resting, put the liquid (if there's a fatty layer on top, spoon it off first -I use my new very useful kitchen tool: the fat separator-) and the vegetables in a blender, puree and strain. The result is aromatic succulent piece of lamb and a light but creamy jus.