Does anyone else love paella?

tiger roach

tiger roach

Urban Bovine Knievel
I was reminded how much I do when I cooked one over the weekend. Here's why:

1. It is fairly easy to make, being a one-pan meal and all. Yet there is enough to it that you know you are cooking something.

2. Variety - it is almost like a pizza, in that you have so many choices of what to put in it and on it.

3. The taste of the rice, after absorbing all the spices and juices as it cooks, is unreal.

This last one was just a basic one with chicken and chorizo and shrimp. One of these days if I can get my hands on some fresh rabbit I'm going to make a more traditional-style one.

There were lots of leftovers this time, and I can hardly walk by the fridge without grabbing a fork and stealing a bite of it cold. :messedup:
 
Kerouac said:
I'm not a big fan of rice...
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DFB said:
Meh, not a fan of rice either.
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Interesting, I've never thought of rice as being a controversial thing. I can definitely see how that would make paella unexciting.

My wife is an absolute fiend for rice, can't get enough of it. Lately however she is in some diet phase where she doesn't want to eat it. Most annoying! :tongue:
 
tiger roach said:
Interesting, I've never thought of rice as being a controversial thing. I can definitely see how that would make paella unexciting.

My wife is an absolute fiend for rice, can't get enough of it. Lately however she is in some diet phase where she doesn't want to eat it. Most annoying! :tongue:
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I spent five years eating rice for dinner five nights a week during my teenage years. I'd be reasonably happy not having rice ever again.


Sent from none of your fuckin' business!
 
I've never had Paella.

I just looked up the local tapas restaurant though, and see that they have it on their dinner menu. $17 for the 'basic' dish, +$3 if you add chicken, +$6.50 if you add shrimp, +$ adding a couple of other items.

Seems kinda salty, price-wise to me for a rice dish, or is that par for the course for paella?
 
It's worth it if you have both a large party to serve and access to a grip of fresh, inexpensive seafood. It's a great dish to do at home right.


Otherwise, it's overpriced filler in restaurants using frozen crap and charging a premium.
 
Jbird said:
I've never had Paella.

I just looked up the local tapas restaurant though, and see that they have it on their dinner menu. $17 for the 'basic' dish, +$3 if you add chicken, +$6.50 if you add shrimp, +$ adding a couple of other items.

Seems kinda salty, price-wise to me for a rice dish, or is that par for the course for paella?
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That could be OK pricing if it is a good tapas place and they know how to make paella. I haven't seen that pizza-style price escalation thing with paella before... I wonder what is in the "basic" version?
 
As promised:

Paella

3 tbsp Spanish extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
1 pound chicken breasts cut into equal chunks
8 ounces chorizo peeled and cut into ¼” slices
1 large yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, pressed (or minced?)
2 cups rice (Valencia or Bomba, do not rinse or soak)
½-1 cup dry white wine
6 cups chicken stock or broth (1.5 boxes)
½ teaspoon saffron threads, lightly toasted and crumbled to powder in the palm of the hand
2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 teaspoons sweet or smoked pimenton (Spanish paprika)
½ pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined*
2 roasted red bell peppers, cut into strips
a few strips of roasted green bell pepper or green beans (for more traditional)*
a handful of chopped parsley*
2 tomatoes diced into chunks (for more traditional)*
olives*

*optional

Heat paella pan with enough olive oil to cover the bottom. Add the chicken and chorizo and cook until just browned. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onions are browned.
Add the dry rice and and cook until opaque, add the white wine. Cook until the wine reduces, deglazing the pan as you go.
Pour in the chicken stock, add the saffron, pimenton and salt. Simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed and the mixture is no longer soupy.
Add the shrimp if desired, pressing them down into the rice. Arrange other ingredients on top. Season with salt and pepper. Place in a 450-degree oven for about 15 minutes to finish.
 
Love it. The wife learned how to cook it from Haitians working cane fields in La.

It's very similar to Jambalaya too. Kind of a Cajun stew.

Shit, now I'm hungry.
 
Does it make good leftovers? I want to make it, but it's just my wife and I until the baby starts eating solid food.
 
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