As-You-Like-It Paella
I absolutely love paella but I never have an excuse to cook it solely for myself, as it’s somewhat involved and makes a ton. However, it’s a fantastic dish for a dinner party. There’s so much going on, and all the spices and flavors meld together to create a wonderful, welcoming aroma for your guests’ arrival.
This recipe is (as always) a conglomeration of paellas I’ve tried over the years. I love cooking Indian food, so you’ll notice a very Southeast Asian influence here. It’s all kinds of crazy.
A few notes:
* Don’t feel obligated to buy saffron. It’s expensive, but a wonderful addition if you swing it.
* You’ll need a couple of burners: one for the main paella skillet, one for the meat, and one for the shrimp.
* Play with the meats and seafood —that’s the “as you like it “part! Paella is wonderful with scallops, calamari, chicken…
Ingredients:
3 Tbps. unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves, minced (set 1 aside)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 Tbsp. lemongrass, minced
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1 large onion, chopped
1 c. fresh peas
2/3 c. white wine
2 c. chicken broth
1 c. Arborio rice
1 lb. medium shrimp
1 lb. mussels, rinsed
1 package chicken jalapeño sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 pound pancetta, diced
—Cook sausage and pancetta until crispy; set aside.
—Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in large skillet. Saute onions and cinnamon until onions are tender. Add garlic and chili (and saffron if you have it) and saute for another minute. Add rice and chicken broth, then pour in half the wine and bring to a boil. Keep heat at medium and stir gently until liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
—While liquid is absorbing, melt the other tablespoon of butter in a separate skillet. Add garlic and sautee for 30 seconds. Add shrimp, lemongrass, and the rest of the wine. Saute until shrimp are cooked through, seasoning with salt and pepper. Reserve liquid.
—When the liquid from the rice is almost entirely absorbed and the rice is tender, add the shrimp, sausage, pancetta, mussels, and peas. Cook, stirring, for another 3 minutes or until mussels have opened. (Discard any mussels that don’t open.) Adjust seasoning, if necessary, and serve.
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By Lauren McNally
Lauren B. McNally is a communications consultant in Washington, D.C., who spends most of her free time exploring culinary and oenological pursuits with friends. She hails from Maine and graduated from Bowdoin College, completing additional study at the University of Cambridge in the U.K.(where she found the dining hall cuisine rather offensive and repulsive, as opposed to that of the top-ranked Bowdoin Dining Service). Her palate is ever-evolving but she includes California Zinfandels, Cotes du Rhone, and white wines from Burgundy and the Loire Valley among her current favorites. Her least favorite wine-related phrase: “I don’t like _.” Lauren also enjoys cooking Italian and French cuisine, and has an unnatural obsession with Gorgonzola and pancetta.
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Pedroiscool
April 14 3:36 p.m. 1Hmm! this sounds delicious. it makes the perfect excuse to throw a dinner party!
p.s. about how many servings does this yield? Just enough for close friends - or somewhere more along the lines of "extended family"?
Thanks.
Lauren
April 14 6:46 p.m. 2If we're talking serving sizes recommended by any sane nutritionist, oh, probably 8 or so?
If you are feeding a small group of really hungry people (or lumberjacks), this will satisfy four with a fairly safe assurance that someone can have seconds if they want it. :)
Have fun!