So when Netflix put up a bunch of Jamie Oliver’s other TV
show Oliver’s Twist, I started
watching them every once in a while.
Mostly when I am looking for something new to cook. I was already aware of Paellas and thought
they looked absolutely delectable, but just figured they were something else
that was too complicated for my amateur kitchen skills.
After seeing Jamie Oliver make Paella, I realized how easy
it really was, and thus grabbed my giant recipe book, found a good recipe, made
a few changes to the ingredients. I
honestly don’t know where to buy rabbit, nor am I certain that my roommates and
friends would even eat rabbit, but I do know where to buy Portuguese Sausage! Also, being a poor post secondary degree
college student, spices like saffron are out of my price range. So changes were made.
Paella, like most things I like cook is simple and
delicious. The only draw back, is the
time it takes to make. Usually cooking
time doesn’t bother me too much, in fact the longer something takes, often
times the better, more complex the flavors will be, but other meals you just don’t
have the time for a dish to take hours to come together.
Paella starts off quickly, browning chicken and sausage in
pan, then taking them out and setting them aside to rest. Using all that delicious fat left in the pan
you then cook the peeled, de-seeded, and diced tomatoes and onions on low heat
for a half hour. This is where things
slow down a little.
After those have cooked down, thus becoming soft and
translucent, the chicken and sausage come back, everything gets stirred
together, nicely mixed, then the heat goes back up and in goes the chicken
stock for ten minutes or so.
The beans go in next for a spell, followed by the rice. At this point, once everything is stirred
together, you are no longer allowed to touch the Paella, with the exception of
maybe adding a little bit more more hot chicken stock if it is boiling out of
the pan before the rice is done. You don’t
want to move anything around because you are looking for the rice at the bottom
to brown and form a nice crust. If you
start stirring you are going to end up with something that it half Paella, half
Risotto. This waiting game takes
anywhere from 25-40 minutes depends on the size of Paella and amount of rice.
The first time I made Paella, my roommate and I ate the
whole thing within twenty-four hours. It
does make great leftovers. Otherwise I
find it usually serves 7-8, with a little bit left over for seconds; which
everyone always wants.
Probably the most important thing I have learned cooking, is
that nothing is ever quite as hard or intimidating as it seems at first. Paella is one of those nice, forgiving foods.
Recipe: Localish-kine Paella
Ingredients-
1 lb chicken parts cut into small bits (I like thighs because of the higher fat content)
1/2 lb Portuguese Sausage (This is about half of a large one)
1 medium chopped onion
3 peeled and deseeded tomatoes (You can buy these canned if you must, but not recommended)
4 1/2 Cups of Hot Chicken Stock (Broth also works if you cannot find stock in the grocery)
1 Cup Garbanzo Beans, rinsed and drained from the can
1 Cup White Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained from the can
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
1 lb medium grained rice
1/4 cup olive oil (optional, I think the sausage has enough fat already)
Directions
1) Add the olive oil to a large pan (preferably a Paella pan, but a large pan works as well) on medium heat (I usually skip the oil because the sausage has enough fat for all). Brown the meats, be sure to mix them together, doing about half at a time.
2) Take the meat out and put it on a plate with some paper towels to rest. Leave the fat in the pan! We will need it.
3) Be sure the pan is on very low heat and add the onion and tomatoes to the leftover fat, stir frequently (not constantly) for around 30 minutes.
4) Add the meat back to the pan with the tomatoes and onion turning up the heat to medium.
5) Add the hot chicken stock to the pan allowing everything to simmer for 10 minutes.
6) Add the beans to the pan.
7) Add the salt (Sometimes I also add a little pepper, some cayenne, or dried red pepper flakes for a little heat to the Paella)
8) Stir everything up adding the rice. Make sure everything has been combined and mixed together. Go ahead and pat down the top with your spoon or spatula. Then leave the pan uncovered on medium high heat. DO NOT STIR OR TOUCH the Paella again until it is done.
9) The Paella will be done when the rice is, if it looks like the liquid is evaporating before the rice is finished, go ahead and add a little bit more; it should take about 25 minutes for the rice to be done and liquid evaporated. (For another touch sometimes I like to crack an egg or two over the top of the Paella 8-10 minutes before it is done to cook on top)
10) Let the Paella sit for 10 minutes if you can, then slice it up similar to a pie, the rice on bottom should be crispy and browned, but not burnt.
Recipe adapted from Joy of Cooking by Rombauer, Becker, and Becker.
Recipe: Localish-kine Paella
Ingredients-
1 lb chicken parts cut into small bits (I like thighs because of the higher fat content)
1/2 lb Portuguese Sausage (This is about half of a large one)
1 medium chopped onion
3 peeled and deseeded tomatoes (You can buy these canned if you must, but not recommended)
4 1/2 Cups of Hot Chicken Stock (Broth also works if you cannot find stock in the grocery)
1 Cup Garbanzo Beans, rinsed and drained from the can
1 Cup White Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained from the can
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
1 lb medium grained rice
1/4 cup olive oil (optional, I think the sausage has enough fat already)
Directions
1) Add the olive oil to a large pan (preferably a Paella pan, but a large pan works as well) on medium heat (I usually skip the oil because the sausage has enough fat for all). Brown the meats, be sure to mix them together, doing about half at a time.
2) Take the meat out and put it on a plate with some paper towels to rest. Leave the fat in the pan! We will need it.
3) Be sure the pan is on very low heat and add the onion and tomatoes to the leftover fat, stir frequently (not constantly) for around 30 minutes.
4) Add the meat back to the pan with the tomatoes and onion turning up the heat to medium.
5) Add the hot chicken stock to the pan allowing everything to simmer for 10 minutes.
6) Add the beans to the pan.
7) Add the salt (Sometimes I also add a little pepper, some cayenne, or dried red pepper flakes for a little heat to the Paella)
8) Stir everything up adding the rice. Make sure everything has been combined and mixed together. Go ahead and pat down the top with your spoon or spatula. Then leave the pan uncovered on medium high heat. DO NOT STIR OR TOUCH the Paella again until it is done.
9) The Paella will be done when the rice is, if it looks like the liquid is evaporating before the rice is finished, go ahead and add a little bit more; it should take about 25 minutes for the rice to be done and liquid evaporated. (For another touch sometimes I like to crack an egg or two over the top of the Paella 8-10 minutes before it is done to cook on top)
10) Let the Paella sit for 10 minutes if you can, then slice it up similar to a pie, the rice on bottom should be crispy and browned, but not burnt.
Recipe adapted from Joy of Cooking by Rombauer, Becker, and Becker.
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