Saffron Rice with Prawns

[TheHummer]

Here's one of my favourite recipes from Australian chef, Bill Grainger.

80 ml olive oil
300 g shallots sliced
1 pinch sea salt
400 g canned chopped plum tomatoes
2 pinch saffron strands
1 tsp sweet paprika
225 g pimentos
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
1.25 liter chicken stock
300 g green beans sliced into 1 cm pieces
500 g Calasparra rice
24 king prawns raw, shelled, deveined and tails left on

1 Heat a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium to high heat and add 40ml of olive oil. Add half the shallots and sprinkle liberally with sea salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2 Add the tomatoes, saffron, paprika, half the pimentos, the freshly ground pepper and chicken stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the beans and cook for another 5 minutes.
3 When you add the beans, heat a large frying pan or paella pan over a medium to high heat and add the remaining olive oil. Add the remaining shallots and fry for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4 Add the rice and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring to coat all the grains with oil. Add the tomato mixture and the remaining pimentos and simmer over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
5 Add the prawns, stir to combine, then cook, without stirring for another 10 minutes, or until the prawns are pink. Serve at once with lemon wedges and parsley.

Servings: 6 Preparation time: 15 minutes