I won’t incur the wrath of Spain by calling this paella - but you know…it’s kind of that way inclined.
1 head of cauliflower pulsed in a blender to ‘cous cous’
1 onion
half bulb garlic crushed and minced.
3/4 ring of chorizo or other good salami type sausage or decent ham.
As many king prawns per person as you are prepared to eat and pay for.
1 red pepper
Pinch saffron or 1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp dried mixed herbs.
100g of peas - defrost them in a bowl of warm water if using frozen.
Salt to taste.
Fat of choice for frying, olive oil for dressing.
Splash of sherry or wine to deglaze.
Method:
Chop onion and pepper to a medium, slightly chunky dice.
Chop sausage to 3/4 cm cubes approx.
Add fat to large frying pan or wok. I like to use a mixture of lard and olive oil.
Fry the sausage with most of the garlic, the herbs the onion and pepper and peas until everything has softened.
Add the spice now and disperse.
Add the cauliflower and cook, stirring constantly until it has cooked. Taste to see if it needs salt. It probably won’t because of the sausage but it may need just a touch.
Keep on a low heat or place in a warm oven to keep warm while you cook the prawns.
In a separate pan, fry your prawns in olive oil with the rest of the garlic for a couple of minutes until you are satisfied they are cooked but not overcooked. (Every prawn is different so I won’t give an exact time). Make sure the pan is good and hot before you add them so they sear rather than boil.
Once cooked, flash the pan with a splash of either dry sherry or wine and quickly reduce it.
Serve the cauliflower mixture with the prawns on top and their cooking juice drizzled over everything.
Serves 4