Marion Grasby
Marion has a simple food philosophy that focuses on fresh flavours and tastes that satisfy. Her deep love of food and cooking has made her an intrepid eater who loves Thai street food as much as a fine dining degustation.
 
Marion is a food writer based in South Australia’s McLaren Vale wine region. She’s been cooking with the Cobb for more than seven years and is still amazed at how versatile it is, whether on the beach or the dining room table.

  
A Spanish Paella is one of those dishes that simply must be shared and enjoyed with a group of friends. As the spicy aromas of chorizo and saffron fill the air, my friends can’t help but gather around while the Paella bubbles away. Have all your ingredients chopped and ready to go before your friends arrive. When everyone has a drink in hand and some olives to nibble on, you can start the cooking. Who would have thought a one pot dish could be so good?
 

Cobb Paella
 
   
 

Serves 6


300g raw unpeeled prawns
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup water
A pinch of saffron threads
3 chicken marylands, skin on and halved at the joint
1 chorizo sausage, skinned and sliced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 green capsicum, finely chopped
1 red onion, finely chopped
1˝cups long grain rice
200g tinned tomatoes
3Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 lemons, cut into wedges
Sea salt and pepper
 
Cobb fuel: 1 Cobble Stone or 10 heat beads
 
First you need to make a flavoursome stock. Peel the prawns. Set aside the prawn meat and reserve the heads and shells. Light the Cobb and place the Cobb Frying Dish over the heat. Place prawn shells and heads into the dish with the chicken stock, water and saffron. Put the Cobb lid on and leave to simmer for 15 minutes.
 
Remove the Cobb Frying Dish and strain out the prawn shells. Set the stock aside.
 
Put the Cobb Frying Dish back on the heat and pour in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When the oil is hot, place chicken pieces in the dish, put the lid on and cook for 10 minutes (turn chicken over after 5 minutes).
 
Remove chicken pieces and set aside. Put chorizo slices into the Cobb Frying Dish and cook until the sausage starts to brown. Remove chorizo and set aside.
 
Pour a tablespoon of oil into the dish and cook garlic, capsicums and onion until soft. You can put the lid on to speed up the cooking time. Then stir through the rice until it is evenly coated with the oil. Place chicken pieces and chorizo on top of the rice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Combine the tinned tomatoes and reserved stock, then pour it over the chicken, chorizo and rice. Put the Cobb lid on and cook for 20 minutes (do not be tempted to lift the lid, no matter how good it smells).
 
After 20 minutes, lift the lid and scatter the raw prawns over the top of the Paella. Put the lid back on and cook for another 5 minutes.
 
Remove the lid and lift Cobb Frying Dish out of the Cobb base. Cover the top of the dish with foil and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
 
Take off the foil and squeeze over the juice from two lemon wedges. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the whole dish at the table with more lemon wedges and some crusty bread.