Chicken Paella & Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding

Main: Chicken Paella
Delicious: Faking It – Valli Little

Dessert: Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding
Delicious.com.au

Hi Everyone!

I do hope you survived the rather long lockdown and perhaps used the time to try some knew dishes??

I baked which was probably a huge mistake because then I ate!! Never mind, the MAV loved it. However, here we are at the other side of another lock down and once again gathering with family for Wine Wednesday.

I actually had a double 10/10 this week. Wahooo, very validating I must say.

I used the wonderful “Faking It” again and selected the Paella because I knew that it was a dish that pretty much makes everyone happy. This version is simple and quick to prepare, unlike traditional Paella. It involves chicken and chorizo only but next time I would add prawns as well. They would work beautifully. I didn’t use saffron because I had run out and when I priced it I just thought that it wasn’t worth it for colour alone so please don’t feel compelled to race out and buy some if you don’t already have it. I made the sun-dried tomato paste by just putting the drained tomatoes in the whizz which worked beautifully.

Using a BBQ’d chicken made this dish a fabulous and fast meal for the whole family.

I used the red capsicum but you can get jars of multicoloured capsicums and it would add a lovely variation to the overall appearance of the dish. The other thing that you should consider is not letting yourself be put off if you don’t have a paella pan. I don’t and the dish was super easy and worked really well in my lovely big frypan. AND the most wonderful thing of all….you simply buy a BBQ’d chicken. Love it! 10/10

As for dessert – well, just the name alone makes me salivate. Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding. Now, very often these can be almost too sickly and heavy. This recipe certainly isn’t. I have never used “raw” castor sugar and I’m wondering if, in fact, that made it less sweet.

Not too sweet or heavy

Something to note here is that the chocolate takes quite a while to cool so don’t leave yourself short on time to prep this delectable dessert. I made it ahead of time and then warmed it in the microwave. Serve with ice-cream or cream or both. 10/10

So until next week…..

From my table to yours with love x

Checken Paella

Made with BBQ chicken – very quick and easy paella

Olive oil
1 onion (finely chopped)
2 chorizo sausages (peeled, sliced)
3 streaky bacon rashers (rind removed, sliced into batons)
2 c calasparra or arborio rice
1 tbsp sun dried tomato paste (make by whizzing 2 tbsp sun dried tomatoes)
280 g jar chargrilled capsicum strips (drained)
3 tomatoes (seeds removed, chopped)
3 garlic cloves (crushed)
2 tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp saffron threads
1.5 ltr chicken stock
¾ c dry white wine
1 BBQ'd chicken (cut into portions)
1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley (chopped)

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep frypan over medium heat. Add the onion, chorizo and bacon and cook, stirring for 5-6 minutes until onion is soft and bacon is starting to crisp. Add the rice, stirring to coat in the mixture. Add the tomato paste, capsicum, tomato, garlic and paprika, then cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Add saffron, chicken stock and wine, then bring to the boil. Simmer gently uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until the liquid is evaporated and the rice is just cooked.
Meanwhile, cut the chicken meat into bite-sized chunks. Stir into the paella and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until heated through. Season to taste, then stir through parsley and serve.

Main Course

Spanish

Self Saucing Chocolate Pudding

165 g dark (70%) chocolate (roughly chopped)
170 g unsalted butter (chopped)
6 eggs
165 g raw sugar
115 g plain flour
60 g almond meal
cocoa powder (to serve)
thick cream (to serve)

Preheat oven to 200°c. Grease a 5 cup baking dish. Place chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over low heat and cook for 3-4 mins or until melted. Remove from heat and cool completely. This takes some time so factor that into your prep.
Place eggs and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk until pale and fluffy. Combine the flour and almond meal in a bowl and fold into the egg mixture. Gently fold through chocolate mixture.
Pour batter into prepared dish and tap gently to level out. Place baking dish on a baking tray and bake for 15-20 mins or until pudding is just cooked but still soft and slightly wobbly in the middle. Remove from oven and stand on a wire rack for 5 mins.
Transfer baking dish to a heatproof serving platter. Dust with cocoa and spoon over thickened cream to serve.

Dessert

Modern Australian

Chicken Paella & Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding