SERVES 4
oven-ready quail 4
extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp
cooking chorizo 1 (approximately 100g), chopped into small dice
onion 1 medium, chopped
garlic cloves 2 large, finely chopped
vine-ripened tomatoes 250g, skinned and chopped
thyme leaves from 2 large sprigs
loosely packed saffron strands ½ tsp
home-made chicken stock 1.2 litres
paella rice (preferably Calasparra) 300g
fresh bay leaves 4
fine asparagus tips 100g
shelled baby broad beans 200g, fresh or frozen
baby peas 100g, fresh or frozen
baby leaf spinach 100g
flat leaf parsley 2 tbsp, chopped, to garnish
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cut along either side of the backbone of each quail with scissors, remove and discard. Then open each quail out flat and cut in half along the breastbone, then into quarters by cutting the legs away from the breasts. Remove the small rib bones from the underside of each breast if you wish. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan or flameproof casserole. Add half the quail pieces, skin-side down, and fry for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Turn over and fry for 2 more minutes, then remove from the pan on to a plate. Repeat with the remaining quail pieces.
Add the chorizo to the casserole and fry for 1-2 minutes until lightly golden. Add the onion and garlic and fry for 5-6 minutes over a medium heat until soft and lightly golden. Add the tomatoes and thyme leaves and cook for 2 minutes more until the tomatoes have softened.
Toast the saffron lightly in a dry frying pan for a few seconds, then tip into a mortar and grind to a powder. Add a splash of the stock and stir together well. Return the quail pieces to the pan with the saffron mixture and the rest of the stock and bring to the boil. Stir in the rice and bay leaves and season to taste with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and leave to simmer for 18 minutes, stirring now and then, until the rice is almost cooked.
Meanwhile, bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Cut the asparagus tips into 2.5cm pieces, add to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a colander and refresh under cold water. Set aside to drain. Add the broad beans to the pan, bring back to the boil and cook for 2 minutes or until just tender. Drain, refresh under cold water then nick the skin of each one and pop out the bright green beans into a bowl. Discard skins.
When the rice is nearly cooked, stir in the peas, asparagus, broad beans and spinach and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until the peas are just tender and the spinach has wilted. Serve in warmed soup plates, scattered with parsley.
Jose Pizarro is chef patron of Jose, London
