1) Make your own Paella Tradition

I have found some wonderful recipes for Paella. It seems just about everywhere in and around Spain there is a special take on the dish, but for me, Paella has always meant great seafood. I also particularly enjoyed the Basque recipe.

We prefer our seafood without shells.

14 - 18 inch Paella Pan ( 4 - 6  or more servings)

Ingredients:

Seafood ( I take the shells OFF):

Shrimp
Meat from Lobster tails

Meat from Alaskan king crab
Scallops

everything but the vegetables!

Other ingredients:

Saffron
Salt – to taste

Black Pepper – to taste

¼ tsp Rosemary

¼ tsp Thyme

¼ tsp Oregano

Parsley

1/2 tsp paprika or Pimenton (smoked Spanish Chile powder)
Olive oil
4 - 5 cups Chicken stock/wine/clam juice
Celery

1 package Peas

2 Red bell peppers

1 green bell pepper

Pimento

1 Yellow Onion
¾ cup Crushed Garlic
1 can diced tomato
1 lemon

2 cups Rice (4 people)

2 Avocadoes

2) PREPARATION:

Prepare the HEAT!

Various methods for cooking the Paella include my favorite: the barbecue grill with mesquite, red oak and hickory. The smoke imparts a wonderful aroma to the rice.

The Meat and the Sofrito can be prepared under more controlled conditions (stove top) and the Paella can even be fniished off in the oven... there are plenty of recipes that provide for this.

My Sofrito:

 

2 Red bell peppers

1 green bell pepper
Olive oil
1 Yellow Onion

1 can diced clams
½ cup Crushed Garlic

1 can Pimentos

1 can diced tomato
1 cup Celery

1 package Peas

For the Rice:

4- 5 cups Chicken stock/clam juice/wine
Saffron (ground)
2 cups short grain rice
Olive oil

Rice should line about ½ inch on the bottom of the pan

3) Step-by-step

a) Fry meats in Olive Oil – remove and set aside... always make more seafood than will be expected to go into the dish...

sharks that hang around the kitchen
take their toll!

b) Sofrito (cooking under oil) - Sauté 1 Onion, ½ cup Garlic, Peppers, Pimentos, Celery and Peas in Olive oil until thickened…

c) Add seasonings:

Salt & Black Pepper – to taste

¼ tsp Thyme

¼ tsp Rosemary

¼ tsp Oregano

½  tsp Paprika or Pimenton (smoked Spanish Chile powder)
add 1 can tomatoes last

d)  First add 2 cups of short grained rice
(unwashed)... this allows the rice to absorb some of the flavorings of the Sofrito!

then

Add Boiling liquids (4-5 cups) 

 

e) Add meats

 (well... whatever is left after

the sampling!)

f) Picada –

(stirred in last toward the end

of the rice’s cooking time)

Mix in Mortar and pestle

1/4  cup crushed Garlic
Parsley

2 tbsp water

8 crushed almonds

4) Remove from fire and allow to rest for 10 minutes, Garnish with 2 sliced Avocadoes

Enjoy the Socarrat … it is a carmelization that will occur of the rice at the pan… the rice is not ‘burnt’… it is wonderful!

Here I am getting ready to enjoy the fruit
of my labor! I truly appreciate the
Spanish tradition of Paella as a mid day
meal prepared by men.