Paella

[High Cheese]

I felt like cooking and they were showing paella shows on TV Saturday so I ran over to WS and bought a 17" paella pan. It was actually a good price at the store, $30. Online retailers have the same pan for $35-ish plus shipping. I didn't use a recipe, but I was inspired by Steven Raichlens version of paella. Serves 4-5

1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 packet of Sazon
1 10oz packet of VIGO Yellow Rice
4-5 cups of hot chicken stock, homemade preferred
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 chicken, cut into 10 pieces (wings, thighs, legs, and breasts split then halved)
2 large links of andoullie or chorizo, sliced on the bias (can sub hot Italian sausage)
1.5 doz. Littleneck clams, purged in salty water for 45 minutes
1.5 doz. Mussels
1 doz. large 18 ct shrimp, peeled and devained
1 cup frozen peas

You can make a quick stock by browning all the carcass of the chicken, wing tips, carrot, celery and onion in a pot. When golden, add water and simmer for an hour. Remove any foamy stuff from the surface and strain.

I started my fire an hour before cooking to build up the coals.

Season and grill the chicken until 75% done and set aside.

In a hot pan, add some olive oil and gently sautee the pepper and onion. After 3 minutes add the garlic and Sazon. After 2-3 minutes add the tomato. Add the sausage and cook for a few minutes. Deglaze with the wine, reduce a bit and add the rice. Mix thoroughly. Add about 3 cups of the stock and stir. You'll need to keep an eye on the pan watching for hot spots and stirring when needed. If the pan gets too dry just add some more stock. Don't worry about the pan being too wet because it reduces very quickly in that shallow pan. When the rice is just about done, you can add the chicken back to finish cooking. Then add the clams and mussels. When they open you can add the shrimp, peas and parsley. Try to push the shrimp down so they cook. Again, if the pan is too dry just add some stock or a little water.

 

[QSis]

WOW!!!! That looks absolutely INCREDIBLE, HC!!! Cooked outside!

Beautiful photo!

Nice job, as usual!

Lee

 

[Cooksie]

Ditto, ditto, ditto - looks delicious

 

[Johnny West]

I do paella's and always add chorizo. I guess that is not quite kosher in Spain. I was told that every chef and cook had their own way of making a paella so will continue to use chorizo.

http://www.news1130.com/2016/10/05/...aella-recipe-mocked-online-as-an-abomination/

On a sad note The Spainish Table in Seattle has closed so there will be no more of the good Spanish vinegar or anchovy stuffed olives unless I can get them on Amazon. I can get bomba rice locally but not the 5 kg bag.

This is the last paella I did this summer.

 

[ChowderMan]

hee-hee. the culinary translation of "paella" methinks is "flat stew" - lots of variation.

sure looks yummy!

 

[Johnny West]

Here is The Spanish Table recipe and similar to what I do. The bomba rice takes a lot more broth than what the recipe calls for. I add dry white wine, as well.


PAELLA:

There are many, many “paella” recipes. Originally paella was a dish made in Valencia using chicken, rabbit, snails and three kinds of fresh beans. Now, paella is almost always associated with seafood, chicken and vegetables. There is no right or wrong recipe, only the recipe that pleases you. Paella ingredients vary from place to place, and time to time, depending on local traditions and the ingredients available. Anything from fresh garden produce to holiday left-overs can inspire a cook to create an original version of this one-dish feast! The dish was named after the pan it is cooked in, a Paellera, which is also used for a variety of rice dishes, such as arroz negro, as well as the Spanish pasta dish: fideuá. This is only one recipe, use your imagination and the ingredients at hand, varying the ingredients can make paella an everyday dish:

TRADITIONAL VALENCIAN PAELLA RECIPE

1⁄2 cup uncooked Valencian Rice per person or 1/3 cup if using Bomba
1 cup chicken stock per person
5 threads saffron per person dissolved in a little white wine
4 tablespoons, or more, olive oil, to cover bottom of pan
1 piece of chicken such as a thigh, per person
1⁄2 to 1 soft chorizo, such as Bilbao or Palacios, per person
1⁄2 teaspoon Spanish sweet pimentón (paprika) per person
1 clove garlic per person, minced
1⁄4 cup chopped onion per person
1/8 cup grated tomato (cut in half, grate and discard the skin) per person 2 shrimp or prawns per person
2-4 small clams and/or mussels per person
Red piquillo peppers cut in strips
Artichoke hearts, green beans, or peas
Cooked white Spanish beans such as alubias de la granja or judión
Lemon wedges for garnish
Salt to taste

Heat stock in a separate stock pot. Crush saffron and add it to stock or a little bit of white wine. Heat paella pan over medium heat, add olive oil and fry chicken until it begins to brown. Next add garlic and onions and sauté until translucent. Add chorizo and cook until heated. Add the rice, stirring until well coated with oil. Add the paprika and grated tomato. Stir while cooking for a few minutes. Add saffron flavored wine and hot stock. Bring to a boil while scraping the bottom of pan. Now the rice should be level and you will not need to stir from this point on. Adjust the heat to maintain a nice simmer. When the rice has absorbed a good amount of liquid but still has a soupy appearance add the mussels or clams. Once the rice is cooked, add the shrimp or prawns tucking them down into the rice, then the piquillo peppers, artichoke hearts, green beans and peas. During this time the rice should be caramelizing on the bottom of the pan or creating what is called the socarrat. It will make a faint crackling sound and smell toasty sweet but not burnt. Set aside to “rest” for 5-1 0 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, Garnish with lemon wedges and serve.

OVEN

You can also use an oven if you find that your pan is too large to cook on the stove top, even with occasionally moving the pan around on the burner(s). Begin your recipe on the stove top but after adding the liquid carefully move your paella pan into the oven (350̊-400̊). Once rice is done return it to the stove top to create the caramelized layer of rice on the bottom of the pan.

BBQ PAELLA

Cooking a paella on a BBQ is easy because the cooking sequence follows the natural cycle of the fire. Once you have established a good, hot bed of coals, you brown the chicken & any other meats in olive oil, then add chopped onions & sauté gently. The fire only needs to remain hot enough to bring the liquid to a boil when you add the rice. Once it has reached boiling, the rice can slowly simmer, absorbing the juices from the other ingredients, along with the color, flavor & the aroma of the saffron. If you throw sprigs of herbs or grapevines on the coals, their smoke will flavor the clams & mussels. The fire can die down slowly while the rice cooks.

*Paelleras can also be used over an open fire or on a counter-top grill.*

SEASONING A CARBON STEEL PAN

Treat carbon steel Paelleras as you would a Chinese wok or cast iron skillet. Before using the first time, boil water in it to remove dirt and label glue. Dry thoroughly! Coat both sides with olive oil and heat the pan up until the oil browns. Re-oil lightly after each use. Never leave water in the pan as it may rust. If rust appears it can usually be wiped off with oil but if necessary use emery cloth and oil to clean off the rust down to shiny, bare metal, and then re-season the pan.