BBQ prawn, pea and lemon paella recipe

Method

1. Mix half the garlic with 1 tbsp oil and add to a baking dish with the whole tiger prawns, mixing gently to coat. Marinate in the fridge for at least 30 mins, or up to 14 hrs before cooking.
2. To cook the paella, place a 34-38cm paella or frying pan on the grill of a hot barbecue. Add the remaining oil and cook the onions for 15-20 mins, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden. Add the remaining garlic and cook for 1 min more.
3. Make up the stock pots with 1.3ltr boiling water, then stir in the saffron. Stir the rice into the paella pan, coating all the grains in the oil. Slowly pour in the hot saffron stock and jiggle the pan (don’t stir) to get the rice in an even layer. Simmer for 10 mins over a medium-high heat (the hottest part of your charcoal barbecue, or a gas barbecue turned to a medium-high setting). Lower the heat to medium, or move the pan to a cooler part of the barbecue, and cook for another 10 mins.
4. Use a fork to lightly stir the peppers, peas and broad beans through the top half of the rice, trying not to disturb the rice at the bottom. Sprinkle over the lemon zest and juice and nestle in the peeled prawns. Cover the pan with foil, then return to the hottest part of the barbecue for 6-8 mins, until the prawns are pink and the rice is cooked.
5. Meanwhile, cook the marinated whole tiger prawns directly on the barbecue grill for 5 mins turning occasionally, until pink and cooked through. Arrange on top of the paella, then scatter with the parsley, if using. Serve with the lemon wedges for squeezing over.

• Tip: Make sure you finish cooking the paella over the hottest part of the barbecue to form the socarrat – the lovely crispy crust that forms on the bottom layer of the rice. And if the rice starts to look a little dry before it’s cooked through, add a splash of water in step 3.

• See more Paella recipes