Seaweed Paella

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• handful of chopped parsley
• 400 g paella rice
• vegetable stock (for quantity see directions)
• 1 small chilli, chopped finely
• 3 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 packet sea spaghetti or other seaweed of your choice (50 g), rinsed
• 250 g mushrooms, chopped into bite-size chunks
• 200 g mange tout, ends taken off
• ½ cup peas
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 courgette, cubed
• 2 pinches saffron
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 6 tomatoes, chopped
• 4 tablespoons tomato purée
• 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
• a really good pinch of salt (½ teaspoon – 1 teaspoon, depending on taste)

Method

Place the seaweed in a saucepan with water (over 1200 ml) and boil for 10 minutes until soft. Allow to cool and chop into bite-size strips. Do not discard the water.

Heat the oil with the chopped onion and the paprika in a large skillet on low-medium heat for 8-10 minutes until soft. Add garlic and chilli and fry for a further 2 minutes. Add the purée and all the chopped vegetables, except for the peas and seaweed, and fry for a further 4-5 minutes, stirring continuously.

To make the stock, mix 2-3 pinches of saffron with vegetable stock and the water from boiling the seaweed.

Add 1200 ml stock to the dish – don’t cover the dish with a lid but bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

Mix in the chopped seaweed, peas, and chickpeas and cook covered for another 10-15 minutes, or until water has evaporated and rice is cooked. Mix in the chopped parsley and add salt and pepper to taste.