Mixed Vegetable Paella With Courgette, Red Pepper, Fennel, Garden Peas, Fresh Parsley & Lemon

Before you start, take out all the ingredients for this recipe (see picture above) and rinse any raw grains, herbs or vegetables.

STEP 1

Take out a large frying pan and a wide pan (approx 20-30cm) with a lid to cook your paella in. You can cover with foil if you don't have a pan with a lid, but ensure you are using a wide deep pan so the paella cooks evenly. Slice the courgette into 1cm rounds and cut the fennel into wedges.

STEP 2

Place your wide deep pan over a high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil to your pan and toast the paella rice until translucent, around 1 minute. Add the paella sauce and 300ml of water to the pan and combine well with the toasted paella rice. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer on a medium heat without stirring for 15 minutes, until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. If the rice looks dry when 15 minutes is up, top it up with a bit more stock / water so that there is a thin layer of moisture on top of the rice. 

STEP 3

While the paella is simmering, char the courgette slices and fennel wedges in a hot and lightly oiled frying pan. Add the garden peas for the final 2-3 minutes of cooking time to warm through. Season and set aside.

STEP 4

Once the paella has been simmering for 15 minutes, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover the paella dish with a tight fitting lid or a piece of kitchen foil and allow the rice to finish cooking in its steam, around 5 minutes. 

STEP 5

Top the paella with your charred courgette and fennel, garden peas, a generous sprinkle of chopped parsley and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper and enjoy!