Paella, (pronounced pie/eh/ya, if you want to get it right) was once voted the most popular holiday dish in the UK on the Food and Drink show. It wasn't surprising that it beat such perennial favourites as Greek moussaka and Italian spaghetti Bolognese, (however Italian that is), as the long standing love affair of the cheap package vacation has allowed many people to sample this dish. But, I wonder why it really won. Food eaten on holiday obviously reminds you of being on holiday, which is generally a very pleasant experience. Hot, sunny weather, care free hours by the pool or on a beach, the coconut smell of sun tan lotion and (lots of) drinks and food eaten on balmy sunny nights. Maybe paella won because of these associations and not for it's actual culinary attributes. If this is true then it would truly be a shame as Paella is one of the most magnificent dishes you can eat and one of my favourites.
It's the crispy, crunchy and chewy crust on the bottom and sides that gets me going, (the Spanish call it the socarret), especially where the flavour has intensified and the chicken or other meat used has browned crisp and caramelized. The smoky paprika and honey scent and flavour of the saffron all add to the complex, layered dish that is best shared around a large table. In Spain they make huge Paellas for up to 20 people and a few rules apply, so I've been told. Two of these rules are precisely the reason why I've called this 'almost' paella, as no.1, I am not a man and no.2, I used Basmati rice instead of the short grained rice commonly used for a different texture. But, I did cook it completely outdoors and tried to stay as authentic as possible with all other ingredients, although, as always, this is my interpretation. If you want to cook really traditional Paella, the book Paella by Alberto Herraiz is a good place to start. Recipe follows later in the post.
You can drive for 4 hours in the States or Canada and witness some of the most dramatic scenery changes imaginable. From endless evergreen forests to vast, stark deserts, complete with mini tornadoes whipping up the dust from the wheat fields and spiralling it around the sky.
We stayed in a cabin near Electric city in Eastern Washington last Thursday night. Being out of season and term time, the place had an eerie, empty feel with us being virtually the only people in the entire site. At night we had a campfire and were completely alone in the fire pit area, looking at the stars through binoculars and listening to an mp3 player while drinking huge bottles of interesting American beer. At first I was terrified, flinching at every leaf blowing past in the darkness, but as the alcohol wound it's way through my bloodstream I relaxed and enjoyed the solitude.
So, back to Paella.
Recipe : Paella with Basmati rice, barbecued chicken, prawns and mussels.
2 tbsp olive oil
2 dried Spanish Chorizo sausages, chopped into chunks
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 large clove garlic, peeled and sliced finely
5 sun dried tomatoes
1 cup rice
1 sachet of Paella seasoning (optional, hard to find)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp saffron strands
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 tomato, chopped
1 tbsp fresh oregano, minced
4 chicken thighs
15 medium raw prawns
10 mussels
Juice of one lemon
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat, (or your fire)....
..and add the chorizo and smoked paprika. Fry for about 6 - 8 minutes until the chorizo starts to crisp and the oil has become fragrant with the paprika and turned a vivid shade of red.
Add the onion, garlic, sun dried tomatoes and bell pepper and fry for a further 10 - 15 minutes until the onion is soft.
Add the rice and stir well for a few minutes to allow all the flavours and oil to penetrate. It should become slightly translucent.
Now you can add the saffron, bay leaves, seasoning (if using) and stock. Stir well, reduce the heat to low to medium and cover with 2 pieces of aluminium foil as a lid. Let cook for about 15 - 20 minutes, checking occasionally. You want the rice to stick a little and start to form the flavourful crust at the bottom. Try not to disturb it too much.
Add the tomato and oregano just as the rice is nearly cooked. Stir well.
Once the rice has become fairly soft and cooked through, you can add the prawns to cook. Simply lay them on top of the rice and recover. let them cook for about 10 minutes until they are pink and opaque.
The chicken was marinated in a simple oil, lemon, paprika and pepper mixture and grilled on the barbecue until crispy and well browned. Once it was cooked and the rice mixture was ready, the chicken was laid on top of the rice also. The more traditional way is to cook it with the sofrito (onions, garlic, pepper etc.) at the beginning before adding the rice.
The mussels we bought were already cooked and only needed 6 minutes on high in the microwave provided with the cabin. Usually, they are laid raw on top of the rice, covered and allowed to steam until opened. As always, discard any mussels that remain closed.
You can either serve this by placing the pan straight onto the table and letting everyone help themselves, or plate individually, as we did for fear of the hot pan burning the plastic table. Encourage everyone to sprinkle a little more smoked paprika over their serving and a few good squeezes of lemon juice would really liven up the flavours.
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