Like it or loathe it, cooking is a necessary skill to have and there is so much variety when it comes to deciding what to eat.

I like to experiment in the kitchen and often follow new recipes for dishes I’ve seen on social media and blogs but I’ve never tried a Jamie Oliver recipe, or any from a celebrity chef for that matter.

So, I thought why not give it a go and this is how it went.

I followed a Jamie Oliver recipe for paella – how to cook it and the results

Before doing anything, I searched through the Jamie Oliver website to find a recipe that I liked and wasn’t too complicated.

Glasgow Times: Some of the ingredients for the recipe are kitchen essentialsSome of the ingredients for the recipe are kitchen essentials (Image: Newsquest)

I ended up choosing the chicken & chorizo paella which the chef describes as a “quick and easy recipe”.

The ‘not too tricky’ graded recipe says the ingredients listed will serve four and take 50 minutes to cook and while the timings lined up, the ingredients needed to be adapted to fill four hungry stomachs.

I usually work on the basis that a standard size chicken breast feeds one person so I was a bit shocked to see that Jamie Oliver recommended only two chicken thighs for a recipe that feeds four people.

I couldn’t get thighs and prefer cooking with chicken breasts anyway so opted for a pack of four.

But apart from that, it was mostly plain sailing and made a nice meal that changed up the usual dinner schedule for the week.

@uktoday_ I cooked Jamie Oliver’s chicken and chorizo paella - find the recipe and my review in the comments below  #cooking #jamieoliver #jamieoliversrecipe #paella #foodtok#ConSantanderConecto ♬ Aesthetic - Tollan Kim

All the ingredients you need to cook the recipe

  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 onion
  • 1 carrot
  • ½ a bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 70g quality chorizo
  • 2 free-range chicken thighs, skin off, bone out
  • Olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 tablespoon tomato puree
  • 1 organic chicken stock cube
  • 300g paella rice
  • 100g frozen peas
  • 200g frozen peeled cooked prawns from sustainable sources
  • 1 lemon
  • Salt and pepper

Glasgow Times: On reflection, I should've cooked the rice for longer and added some more water and seasoningOn reflection, I should've cooked the rice for longer and added some more water and seasoning (Image: Newsquest)

How to make the Jamie Oliver chicken and chorizo paella

Step 1

Peel and slice your garlic finely then peel and chop your onion and carrot. Chop the parsley stalks (I decided to get a jar of parsley leaves so I can use it again in the future and not waste a big fresh parsley plant that I found at the shop). Chop the chorizo and chicken.

Step 2

Put oil into a pan (a shallow casserole or paella pan works – you’ll need a lid) and warm on a medium heat. Add all the ingredients you just chopped into the pan alongside the paprika and fry for about five minutes. Make sure you regularly stir the ingredients.

Step 3

While your ingredients are cooking in the pan, chop the pepper, remembering to deseed it too. Once done, add it to the pan with the rest and cook it all for a further five minutes.

Step 4

Add the tomato puree and crumble the stock cube into the pan. Add the paella rice and stir for a couple of minutes so it can soak up the flavour.

Step 5

Boil 750ml of water and pour into the pan. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Then, put the lid on the pan and bring it to the boil before reducing it to a simmer for 15 minutes.

You’ll need to stir it regularly with Jamie Oliver recommending stirring “from the outside in and from the inside out”. If you think you need it, you can add a splash of water.

Step 6

Next, add the peas and prawns and put the lid on for five more minutes or until it's hot all the way through.

Step 7

“Season to perfection” – I just added some more paprika for taste. Sprinkle your parsley leaves on top of the paella and serve with lemon wedges (I avoided using lemon since I’m not a fan of the flavour).

Glasgow Times: Having paella on the dinner menu for the week made a nice changeHaving paella on the dinner menu for the week made a nice change (Image: Newsquest)

You can find the recipe on the Jamie Oliver website.

The verdict - I need to be more patient

Overall, it’s good that you can alter the recipe to please you and your family – things you don’t like can be taken out and others could be added in if you wish.

While I didn’t have all the ingredients already at home, most weeks I would’ve had more of the items so generally I think it’s a good recipe for using up bits in your fridge and cupboards.

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The recipe was easy to follow and made a nice meal – the only improvements needed were on my part as I was a little impatient and the rice was still slightly firm when dishing it up.

Although it didn’t spoil the dinner, I can’t help but think it would’ve been better to let the rice cook a bit longer and add more water plus a bit more seasoning as it lacked a bit of flavour.

I'd be up for trying it again and I look forward to trying more Jamie Oliver recipes in the future. I'd also recommend giving this one a go.