This seafood-filled Spanish dish is perfect for your next family fiesta. Increase quantities to cater for larger numbers, but remember you'll need a larger pan, too. Thanks to eatlove.com.au, we're sharing a recipe by My Kitchen Rules co-host Pete Evans from his book Fish (published by Murdoch Books). 

The name paella comes from the two-handled shallow pan in which the dish is cooked. It isn't strictly necessary to cook paella in this pan, but if you're going to make it fairly often they aren't very expensive and do look great on the table.

Ingredients (Serves 4)
750 ml (26 fl oz/3 cups) fish or chicken stock
10 flat-leaf (Italian) parsley stalks
250 g (9 oz) prawns (shells and heads kept)
1 lemon
a pinch saffron threads
2 garlic cloves
2 ripe tomatoes
1 teaspoon paprika (I like to use La Chinata)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 chorizo sausage
250 g (9 oz) Calasparra or Bomba short-grain rice
150 g (5½ oz) squid
100 g (3½ oz) vongole (Italian clams)
75 g (2¾ oz) pimentos
a handful flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

Preparation
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Put the stock in a saucepan over heat and add the parsley stalks, the prawn shells and heads and half the lemon. Bring to a simmer and add the saffron.

Heat a touch of oil in a frying pan and fry the garlic, tomatoes and paprika for a few minutes until soft, then purée with a blender or a mortar and pestle. (This mixture is called picada.)

Heat the oil in a paella pan or large heavy-based frying pan and fry the chorizo on both sides. Add the rice and the picada and cook for a few minutes, stirring well.

Strain the hot stock into the paella pan and stir well. Add a touch of sea salt, bring to the boil for 5 minutes and then stir again.

Add the squid, vongole and prawns to the paella pan, cover with the lid or foil and put in the oven for 15–20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and the vongole have opened. Arrange the pimento or capsicum strips over the top with the chopped parsley and lemon zest. Season with sea salt and cracked pepper if needed and serve immediately in the paella pan.