Paella Party

Last night, we had a paella party, and it was wonderful.

Assembling the ingredients took some time, and even required a trip to Trader Joe's, who carries saffron. (Shout-out to my mother-in-law for the TJ's gift card! Today's blog post is for you!)

For those who don't know, saffron is a very interesting member of the spice cabinet family. It's actually the stamen of the crocus flower, which measures a 6 on the awesome factor scale. When it comes into contact with liquid, it'll release a beautiful yellowish tint to food, which is definitely what we want when it comes to paella. Just trust me on this.

If you're digging the saffron love, click here to learn more about it.

I don't have a paella pan, so I just used the biggest pan/skillet I had. Trust me, you're going to need the biggest one you can find. I tried to sell Matt on the merits of buying a paella pan, but I don't think he's sold on the idea...yet. I'll keep working on that.

I got this super easy paella recipe from AllRecipes.com.


Easy Paella

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Makes 6-8 servings, depending on how hungry we are!

Ingredients:

Makes servings US Metric Adjust Recipe (Help)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch pieces
    
   
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I'd say throw in a little more if you're a spicy fan)
• 2 cups uncooked short-grain white rice
• 1 pinch saffron threads   
  1 bay leaf
• 1/2 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 2 lemons, zested
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Spanish onion, chopped (I used 1/2 of a white onion)
• 1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1 pound chorizo sausage, casings removed and crumbled
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined  (I couldn't convince Matt to let me throw in shrimp, so we skipped this ingredient. Traditional paella recipes will have mussels or some other sort of shellfish, so go for that if you're a seafood person.)
• I threw in about 1/2 bag of frozen peas, both because I think I remembered the paella I had in Barcelona to have had peas, and also because any chance I have to get Matt to eat more veggies, I'll take it! 

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons olive oil, paprika, oregano, and salt and pepper. Stir in chicken pieces to coat. Cover, and refrigerate.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or paella pan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes, and rice. Cook, stirring, to coat rice with oil, about 3 minutes. Stir in saffron threads, bay leaf, parsley, chicken stock, and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Stir in marinated chicken and onion; cook 5 minutes. Stir in bell pepper and sausage; cook 5 minutes. Stir in shrimp (if used); cook, turning the shrimp, until both sides are pink.
4. Spread rice mixture onto a serving tray. Top with meat and seafood mixture.

I wish computers had smell-o-vision, because you would not believe the wonderful smell this dish makes. Just ask Mojo, who spent the entire time this recipe was cooking at my feet, waiting desperately for me to spill or drop something from the pan.

The chorizo is really the kicker; if you remember my love affair with chorizo from the post about chorizo con huevos, you'll know how awesome chorizo tastes. What I learned from trying this recipe is that chorizo plays well with others; it didn't overpower any of the flavors (especially the great marinade that went on the chicken), and brought its delicious spicy zest to the party. Chorizo is any ingredient's best wingman; bring him to the party and you're bound to hit it off well.

I knew as soon as I took a bite that we had a winner (And yes! Matt was going to eat peas!). This paella recipe delivered on the hearty, subtly spicy dish I remember from traveling in Spain. I love it when that happens! Of course, my paella will never, ever be as good as the traditional Spanish paella, but if I can get that close, I'm happy.

Matt's stunned silence.

Matt seemed pretty happy, too. When he likes what you've made, he won't say anything for a long time, and instead just sit there, placing forkfuls of it in his mouth, and stare at you like you're God or something. Then, after a few minutes of this silent bliss, he's say, "Thank you."

When that happens, it's best if you go ahead and put the recipe in your "keep" pile.

Contrary to what the picture to your right shows, we did have a Spanish red wine to go along with our dinner. I considered picking up or making some sangria, but decided at the last minute to go with a garnacha/syrah. I don't usually go for reds because I think they taste like smelly gym socks, but I went for it. Unfortunately, this red didn't change my opinion, so we corked it and will probably try to pawn it off on my parents, who are wonderfully classy wine fans. If enjoying wine is genetic, maybe I should just try to acquire a taste for smelly gym socks.

Tonight, we'll drop our dogs, Mojo and Chloe, off with my parents, who will be looking after "the kids" until Tuesday. Matt and I are headed for Springfield, Illinois, where he'll be studying for his master's degree in political science beginning this August. We'll keep you updated, and I'll be posting pictures of the trip, the town, and of course the food! Also, since St. Patty's Day is Sunday, I'll probably take a culinary detour and see if I can't rustle up some semi-authentic Irish grub in Springfield.

Cheers!

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Remembering Barcelona

I know it sounds strange, but in all of my travels the place I've connected with best is Barcelona. I first visited the city as a high schooler, and immediately fell in love with its vibrant, fast-paced culture and its old-world charm. It's a modern city nestled up against Spain's dynamic past.

And both times I've been there, I've ended up at the McDonald's in the Plaça de Catalunya, quite against my will, I'll have you know.

But seriously, is McDonald's the American embassy or something? Sheesh. Do me a favor, guys: Put down the Big Mac and explore the local eateries when you're abroad. You can thank me later.

Since that first trip to Barcelona, I've been trying to put my finger on what it is exactly that draws me so blissfully close to Spain's culture.

Honestly, I think a big part of it comes from the way the Spanish live. I love that the energy of the city ebbs and flows between rush hour and siesta, and then culminates in a nightly celebration of music, food, and light in the Plaça. Sure, the city is busy like New York or Chicago. But the Spanish do busy with style. The city has the energy of New York but the relaxed, methodical rhythm of the Rivera. While siesta confused me the first few days I was there, I soon got very used to the idea that a midday break from the stress of work was a fact of life.

And then there's Barcelona's quirky atmosphere. The city is amazingly diverse; on the Las Ramblas end, there's the port and beach. Then you've got the interest of the Plaça's high-end stores and eateries. (On a side note, that's where, during my high school trip, I saw my very first Afghan war protest: hundreds of naked people were riding bicycles down the street. While we Americans stood back in shock and--admittedly--interest, the Spaniards around us seemed to just roll their eyes and go about their days, like it was just another Tuesday. How the naked cycling was going to put an end to the war, I'll never know.)

But I digress.

As you worm your way through the busy streets of Barcelona, you'll find yourself staring up at the impressive architecture of Gaudí, especially La Sagrada Familia, which was once known as "the Unfinished Cathedral," due to its on-again-off-again construction. (I think it's done now...if you know, chat with me in the comments.)

La Sagrada Familia ("The Unfinished Cathedral")

I remember riding through Barcelona, mouth ajar, too impressed even to raise my camera to snap a picture. This is actually the only photo of the Sagrada Familia I have from either trip. I know, I know, shame on me.

I wish I could go back to Barcelona very soon. My second and most recent trip there came in the form of a weekend getaway while studying in the south of France. I was so great to get a chance to visit the city again, and I hope it wasn't my last time doing so.

Since I don't have many photos to share with you, I hope my recipe highlight for Spain will do. I remember sitting down at a little restaurant nestled neatly into Las Ramblas, so quaint that if it were not for the smell of paella wafting down the street, I would never even have noticed it. I ordered the paella with the help of my professor, Luis, who speaks Spanish. I kept quiet and tried my best to look very Spanish (not successfully, I'm sure) as Luis rattled off our order to the waiter.

When the dish came, I was in love. Paella, if you're not familiar, is a devilishly delicious concoction of rice, sausage, seafood, and sometimes chicken, all introduced to each other by saffron, one of daintiest things you'll ever have in your spice cabinet. It's so good, it even gets its very own pan!

I'll remember the taste of that first paella forever, but I'm sorry to report that I doubt I'll ever be able to reproduce it. Sigh...a girl can try though!

Next post: PAELLA!

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