Paella In The Sky

The Straits of Juan de Fuca bring in some incredible storms. One cloudy night last summer, my neighbor Lisa made an amazing Paella from a recipe posted by the Spanish Table. Whidbey Island clams and mussels straight from the beach, local chorizo and organic chicken thighs.

Lisa has the most amazing Paella Pan but any pan that you can use of a grill would work. This dish always seemed so complicated to me until I saw Lisa whip it together in a few minutes. Of course she is always so organized and makes entertaining look easy!

Here is the recipe from The Spanish Table and you can find all the ingredients on their website.

http://www.spanishtable.com/

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:

½ cup 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, or more, olive oil, to cover bottom of pan

1 piece of chicken, such as a thigh, per person

½ to 1 soft chorizo, such as Bilbao or Palacios, per person

½ teaspoon Spanish sweet pimentón (paprika) per person

1 clove garlic per person, minced

¼ cup chopped onion per person

c cup grated tomato (cut in half, grate and discard the skin) per person

2 shrimp or prawns per portion

2-4 small clams and/or mussels per portion

red piquillo peppers cut in strips

artichoke hearts, green beans or peas

cooked judíon beans (called garrofón in Valenciano) – optional

lemon wedges for garnish

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.

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.

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.

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.