Table Talk
Paella
I'm in love. With Paella. I'm dreaming about it. I'm spontaneously buying ingredients for it, on the off-chance of having an opportunity to make it. And now finally, I'm ready and able to create this Spanish classic. I received an early Christmas gift from my friends Louise and Brad, who introduced me to this wonderful dish--a Paella pan and the smoked paprika, chorizo, saffron & Valencian rice called for in the recipe. And I'm prepared. I already have the shrimp, chicken thighs and scallops waiting patiently in the freezer.
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.
1/2 c uncooked Valencian Rice , per person
1 cup chicken stock per ½ cup of rice, more if using Bomba
5 threads saffron (per person), dissolved in ½ cup white wine
4 tablespoons olive oil, , or more, to cover bottom of pan
1 piece chicken, such as a thigh, per person
1/2 soft chorizo, such as Bilbao or Palacios, per person
1/2 tsp Spanish Hot Smoked pimentón (paprika) per person
1 clove garlic (per person), minced
1/4 c chopped onion per person
1 cup grated tomato (cut in half, grate and discard the skin) per person
2 shrimp or prawns per portion
2 small clams and/or mussels per portion (2 to 4)
red piquillo peppers cut in strips
artichoke hearts, green beans or peas
cooked judíon beans (called garrofón in Valenciano) ? optional
lemon wedges for garnish
1. Heat stock and keep warm. Toast saffron gently in a small pan. When aroma is released, add white wine. Allow to come to a boil then remove from heat.
Heat paella pan over medium heat, add olive oil and fry chicken. When chicken is golden and the juice runs clear, add garlic and onions and saute
until translucent. Add chorizo and cook until heated. Adjust heat to maintain a slow boil. After about five minutes, add the seafood.
Cook another 15 minutes, or until rice is done.Sprinkle with chopped parsley, garnish with lemon wedges and serve.
2. Add the rice, stirring until well coated with oil (about one minute). Add the paprika and grated tomato. Stir, add saffron flavored wine and hot stock. Bring
to a boil, scraping the bottom of pan, then add piquillo pepper and add artichoke hearts, green beans, cooked judíon beans or peas.
3. Traditionally, Paella is not stirred during the second half of the cooking time. This produces a caramelized layer of rice on the bottom of the pan considered by many to be the best part. With a large pan, it is difficult to accomplish this on an American stove and you may prefer to stir the Paella occasionally or move the pan around on the burner(s). Another alternative is to finish the Paella by placing it in the oven for the last 10-15 minutes of cooking. Paelleras can also be used on a barbeque, over an open fire (the most traditional heat source), or on a counter-top grill.
4. 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 & saute 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 & 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 for about twenty minutes.
From The Spanish Table Cookbook
