Pilar's Farewell Party- Paella style
It's with great sadness that I write to say that my good friend Pilar is leaving us for the sunny climes of Valencia, Spain. A group of friends gathered at Yvonne's apartment to throw the first of many farewell parties. The idea being that by the time Pilar and Tecuani leave we'll have celebrated and commiserated thoroughly. Since Yvonne is a fellow Spaniard and her husband Seb is a chef (albeit French), AND Valencia is the paella capital of the world-Seb's centerpiece of the meal was the massive paella cazuela with a perfectly crunchy soccarat crust.
I've made paella so often now I don't really follow a recipe, but originally I used one from Penelope Casas' Food and Wine of Spain
This represents a modified version, so feel free to blame me if it doesn't work out.
3/4 lb chicken (drumettes or legs)
3/4 lb shrimp
1/2 lb squid (baby w/ tentacles preferably but rings work)
1/2 lb scallops
1/2 lb chorizo
2 bay leaves
1/2tsp thyme
2 sprigs parsley
1 small onion/shallot chopped
red bell pepper cut into slivers
3+cups broth
2 cups rice (short grained)
1 can whole tomatoes
1/4 cup green peas (frozen or asparagus ok)
1/4 tsp saffron
3 cloves garlic minced
small mussels and crabs for points of interest
parsley and lemon wedges for garnish
The essential ingredients are rice, saffron, seafood, chicken, chorizo, peppers, green peas and broth. If your friends don't like seafood you can substitute rabbit and pork ribs. I've cooked paella both the traditional style and covered in the oven. By far the easier way to go is in the oven. The only drawback is the lack of soccarat crust, which can be remedied somewhat easily by crisping the paella over a flame. Start by browning/searing all the meat and seafood. This should be done in the same pot or pan to build a dense layer of fond. Then chop a red bell pepper into slivers, mince an onion and 3 cloves of garlic and cook till soft and translucent. Lift the fond using broth and white wine. Set aside for later.
In the same pan, fry the raw rice until all the grains are glossy and coated, smelling a little nutty. Add the reserved liquid and tomatoes, making sure the volume adds up to about 4+ cups. (If you want to use more rice, the correct ratio is 2 liquid:1 rice). At this point stir in the saffron threads and bay leaves. Pre-heat oven to 325oF. Cover and cook in oven till moisture is absorbed but rice is slightly al dente. Prolly around 15-20 minutes. At this point add seafood, meat and peas, leave off lid and continue cooking till seafood and rice are done.
To build a soccarat crust, place pan on burner and allow to heat on medium high for ~ 5minutes without stirring. To ensure an even browning, rotate pan 180o halfway thru. Remain vigilant, if you smell burning it's too late. Garnish with parsley and lemon. Serve with a white wine and green salad.