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PAELLA
This recipe will serve 8-10 people as an entrée or about 20 as a side dish or appetizer. The basis of Paella is chicken and rice with saffron, beyond that shellfish, short ribs, cubed pork or lamb pieces are all a matter of personal preference.
I like to start with some vegetables for extra flavoring: an onion (chopped), some celery and carrots (sliced), 2-4 cloves of minced garlic, a handful of fresh chopped parsley. Prepare and set aside.
Cut up a large chicken into pieces about the size of half a thigh. If you want to use short ribs or other meats, size them proportionately, consider using shrimps, clams (small, in the shell), mussels and lobster.
Use a large pan that has a cover and can be placed in the oven. Heat about ½ cup of olive oil, then, brown the chicken and sausage and meats,
do not cook the shellfish. This takes about 10 minutes. Remove the meats to a bowl, then, sauté the vegetables for about 4-5 minutes (just to soften). Return the meats to the pan. Add two large tomatoes that have been coarsely chopped, 2.5 cups of rice (I prefer basmati), about 8 threads of saffron, and 1 quart of pre-heated chicken stock. Mix well and bring back to a simmer. Cover and place in a 350 oven for 30 minutes or until rice is beginning to get tender. Add clams and shrimp or other shellfish and cook 10-15 minutes more (until the shells open). Serve hot, garnished with red and green bell pepper strips.
Chicken and/or meats and/or shellfish (figured at one piece
of each per person to be fed), vegetables, 1 chorizo (pork or beef) sausage or smoked ham, rice, chicken stock, saffron threads. |
