Jamie Oliver panned over 'unorthodox' paella recipe

For many people, Jamie Oliver’s quick and tasty recipes are an absolutely godsend.

But the TV chef’s latest offering – a rather unorthodox paella recipe – has almost caused a diplomatic incident.

“Good Spanish food doesn’t get much better than paella,” Jamie’s seemingly helpful tweet read. “My version combines chicken thighs & chorizo.”

Cue an almighty torrent of outrage of abuse, outrage and even moral indignation.

So ‘what’s the problem?’, you might wonder. Well, it’s all down to Jamie’s use of the ‘c’ word. Chorizo should never, EVER be added to a paella, alright?

Who knew? Well, most of Twitter now.

“Your paella is an abomination,” said one insulted Spaniard. “An insult not only to our gastronomy but to our culture,” added another. “Remove the chorizo. We don’t negotiate with terrorists. First warning” was a further slightly worrying reply.

You might wonder what all the fuss is about. After all, there are hundreds of recipes for paella, which usually involves rice plus other ingredients like seafood, rabbit and vegetables. But the Spanish are very clear about what shouldn’t go in – and chorizo is DEFINITELY out.

Maybe British chefs should just steer clear of the dish full stop. Only last month Spanish newspaper El Pias had a pop at Gordon Ramsay for adding chilli to the dish – “because it’s never too late to confuse Spain with Mexico”, they trilled, before adding that Marco Pierre White added “enough paprika to stop a moving train” to the dish.

Jamie-watchers might remember this isn’t the first time his unorthodox use of grains has landed him in hot water. A couple of years ago his ‘twist’ on jollof rice, a staple of many west African nations, was blasted for its inclusion of tomatoes, parsley and a lemon wedge. “Our plates will not be colonised!” someone on Twitter howled at the time.

Honestly. Stick to the fish and chips, Jamie.