RECIPE FROM SPAIN:

Shop Online! Spanish Meats & Ingredients <click here>

Spanish Paella Stock

Stock - the foundation of any good paella! Spanish paella needs a good stock both to add flavour and for your paella rice to work its magic and soak up all those juices. Meat based paella's such as chicken, pork, rabbit will require a chicken stock and seafood based paella's will need a good fish stock - ask your fish monger for a monkfish head, if they have one this is ideal for a big seafood paella.

The beauty of chicken stock is that it can freeze and also utilises every part of the bird - zero wastage. It is also a handy thing to have in the freezer as there are a multitude of recipes that require a good stock. Not so much a recipe below but simply a quick guide to using that leftover turkey carcass or chicken Sunday dinner.

You will need:

1 Chicken or turkey carcass
1 Large onion
3 or 4 Unpeeled carrots
Bay leaf
Pepper

Method

• Place the carcass into a large pan and fill with water.

• Skin the onion and quarter - add to pan.

• Break the carrots into halves/thirds - add to pan.

• Add bay leaf and a sprinkle of pepper.

• Bring pan to the boil and boil for 3 - 4 minutes then simmer for 1½ hours (2 hours if using a turkey carcass).

Once the stock has cooled pour through a sieve and compost the vegetables and bay, discard the carcass. Freeze using Tupperware boxes or large freezer bags.

Perfect stock - ready for the next paella!