How to make an authentic paella

The UK has something of a reputation for butchering those classic European dishes on which entire cultures seem to be founded. Think spaghetti carbonara creamy enough to make an Italian weep or the kind of rubbery, watery beef bourguignon that is the culinary equivalent of our grizzly, grey weather to any self-respecting Frenchman or woman. But perhaps no dish is more maligned or widely miscooked than Paella.

Certainly, we’re not helped in this respect by our celebrity chefs. And the usual suspects are at it again – Jamie Oliver reportedly received death threats for adding chorizo to his version and Gordon Ramsay followed suit, eliciting a similar reaction. It’s also not worth thinking about how wrong the versions which litter our supermarket shelves are (yes, that does even mean the Charlie Bigham’s).

Our long history of these kinds of offences led Spanish journalist Josep Pla to remark: ‘The abuses committed in the name of Paella Valenciana, are excessive – an absolute scandal.