Nadia and Kaye Disaster Chef Pretend Paella recipe

Nadia and Kaye's Pretend Paella, taken from their cookbook Disaster Chef, is the perfect replacement if you're looking for an easier version of the classic Paella. Kaye says: 'I wanted Nadia to devise me a recipe for something like a paella, but not a paella, because that would be far too much faff. There’s still a lot of chopping in this, but that’s what 10-year-olds are for. We wouldn’t want a new generation of Disaster Chefs, would we?'

Ingredients

• 2–3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, sliced
• 3 medium tomatoes, cut into 8
• 3–6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 300g (10oz) basmati rice
• pinch of saffron threads
• 1 heaped tsp smoked paprika (optional)
• 150ml (5fl oz) dry sherry or white wine
• 400ml (14fl oz) hot fish stock (from a cube is fine)
• 400g pack of frozen seafood mix
• 100g (3½oz) frozen peas
• lemon wedges, to serve
• handful of chopped parsley leaves, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat.
2. Add the onions and garlic, and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until softened. Nadia’s tip: Don’t let the onions get crispy
3. Add the tomatoes and stir.
4. Add the rice, saffron, and paprika (if using), and stir for 1 minute. Pour in the sherry or wine. Increase the heat to bring up to the bubble for 1 minute, stirring to burn off the alcohol, then reduce the heat to medium.
5. Add the stock and seafood mix, cover, and simmer very gently for 15 minutes over a low heat, or until the rice and fish are cooked. Add the peas 3 minutes before the end. Don’t stir.
6. When the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, you’re ready to go, with a good squeeze from the lemon wedges, and a flourish of chopped parsley. Credit: Nadia and Kaye Disaster Chef by Nadia Sawalha and Kaye Adams. Published by DK (£20).