Paella Recipe

In a wide, shallow pan, heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Add the prawn heads and parsley stalks, letting them sizzle until the heads turn pink, then mash them with a potato masher. Pour in the sherry and 300ml water, season with salt, and simmer for 10 minutes to create a flavorful stock, continuing to mash the prawn heads as they cook.

Scatter the mussels into the pan, cover it loosely with a lid or tea towel, and cook over high heat for 3-4 minutes until they just open. Stir to release their juices, then pour the pan's contents into a colander set over a large bowl with the saffron. Let the saffron steep in this stock; you'll need 700ml total, so top up with water if necessary. Pick the mussels from the colander and set them aside.

Wipe out the pan and add the remaining olive oil. Sizzle the chorizo until it renders its oil, then add the onion and garlic and cook until softened. Stir in the squid, turning it until it turns opaque white. Add the tomatoes and cook them down for about 1 minute, then pour in most of the stock. Stir everything well and bring it to a boil. Scatter the paella rice over the stock, stir just once, then boil vigorously for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and slowly simmer for 10 minutes without stirring, until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid.

Tuck the prawn tails into the rice and simmer for another 5 minutes, turning them over until they are cooked through. Gently stir in the reserved mussels and broad beans. Taste the rice: if it's still a bit raw but the pan is dry, add a splash more stock and continue cooking; if it's too soupy, increase the heat to cook off the remaining stock.

Once the rice is just cooked, turn off the heat and cover the pan with a tea towel for a few minutes to let it rest. Scatter over the fresh parsley leaves and lemon zest. If you like, season with smoked salt. Give everything one final stir, then serve straight from the pan, with lemon wedges alongside.