The Dirty Apron Cooking School has taught thousands of Canadians to cook. In Gather, a much anticipated follow-up to his bestselling Dirty Apron Cookbook, David Robertson celebrates the simple pleasures of cooking food for friends and family.

Gather features an enticing collection of 80 delicious recipes designed to be shared, whether on platters or heaped high in big bowls, and served with care, generosity, and a lot of love. From crème brûlée French toast, to a salmon, spinach and fennel Wellington, to beef tenderloin with salsa verde and honey-roasted vegetables, these crowd-pleasing recipes are super approachable and bursting with flavour.

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seafood and chorizo paella

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 c chicken stock (p. 200), plus extra if needed

30 threads saffron

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

10 piquillo peppers, seeded, deveined and chopped

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped

1 tsp smoked paprika

11/2 c bomba rice

15 mussels, scrubbed clean

15 clams, scrubbed clean

12 prawns, peeled and deveined

12 squid, cleaned and halved

6 oz Spanish chorizo, cut into a

1/2-inch dice

1 c fresh or frozen peas (see note)

1/4 c chopped Italian parsley

kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

juice of 1/2 lemon, or to taste

To serve

grated Parmesan

microgreens or sprouts

extra virgin olive oil

I fell in love with paella the first time I had it in Spain. Resist the temptation to stir it. Instead, let it sit and take its time to develop the flavours and the socarrat, which is the delicious, crunchy crust that forms along the bottom of the dish. But take care not to overcook the various types of seafood. Never throw everything into the pan at once. 

In a saucepan, combine stock and saffron and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Keep warm. 

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-low heat. Add onions and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in peppers, tomatoes, and smoked paprika. Add rice and mix well, to ensure grains are lightly coated with oil.

Pour in stock, ensuring rice is completely submerged. Bring to a gentle simmer on medium heat and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until rice is 75 per cent cooked. Be careful not to boil or let the pan go dry; add more stock if needed.

Add mussels, clams, prawns, squid, and chorizo to the pan and cover. Lower heat to medium-low and cook for another 5 minutes, until rice absorbs remaining stock and is completely cooked, and mussels and clams have opened. (Do not stir in seafood.) Fold in peas and cover.* Set aside to rest for 5 minutes.

To finish, add parsley and season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

*If using fresh peas, add them with the seafood to allow a longer cooking time.

From Gather: A Dirty Apron Cookbook, by David Robertson. Figure 1 Publishing, 2019. Appear's with permission of the publisher.