An apartment filled with an exquisite aroma, and a whole lot of love.
I believe it is so important to fill your life with people who not only accept you as you are, but completely love it! respect it . . . celebrate it! Give you love, support, encouragement and room to grow, lovingly help you become the person you strive to be, do the things you dream to do, live the life you want to live. and it goes both ways.
Hence, why I happily chopped, minced, sautéed at 4am ( I swear! I actually was happy, goofy smiling happy. . . probably also slightly delirious by that point as well hahaha ) The next day I would be blessed enough to be surrounded by some of my closest friends and most special people in my life, and this was for them. when it comes to my relationships, I expect, but also GIVE nothing but the best. My all. Always. LOVE. Encouragement. Respect. Support. etc. etc. . . . and awesome food ; )
so yea . . . Paella is a dish that seriously just has sooo much ridiculously good stuff. Saffron threads are a special treat. Exotic. & Its a lot of work. but so worth it. I use "cauliflower" rice instead of regular rice for a more nutritious alternative. I swear no one knew the difference until I told them after they had eaten. and they couldnt believe it. Its all in the seasonings. sneaky, sneaky :p
ENJOY.
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THE ULTIMATE PAELLA
Courtesy Tyler Florence- Food Network.com
Ingredients
Spice Mix for chicken, recipe follows
1 (3-pound) frying chicken, cut into 10 pieces
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Spanish chorizo sausages, thickly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Spanish onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
Bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped, reserve some for garnish
1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and hand-crushed
4 cups short grain Spanish rice (I used pre-made cauliflower rice instead)
6 cups water, warm
Generous pinch saffron threads
1 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed
1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 lobster tails
1/2 cup sweet peas, frozen and thawed
Lemon wedges, for serving
Special equipment:
Large paella pan or wide shallow skillet
Directions
Rub the spice mix all over the chicken and marinate chicken for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Heat oil in a paella pan over medium-high heat. Saute the chorizo until browned, remove and reserve. Add chicken skin-side down and brown on all sides, turning with tongs. Add salt and freshly ground pepper. Remove from pan and reserve.
In the same pan, make a sofrito by sauteing the onions, garlic, and parsley. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes on a medium heat. Then, add tomatoes and cook until the mixture caramelizes a bit and the flavors meld. Fold in the "cauliflower" rice and stir-fry to coat the grains. Pour in water and simmer for 10 minutes, gently moving the pan around so the rice cooks evenly and absorbs the liquid. Add chicken, chorizo, and saffron. Add the clams and shrimp, tucking them into the rice. The shrimp will take about 8 minutes to cook. Give the paella a good shake and let it simmer, without stirring, until the rice is al dente, for about 15 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, when the rice is filling the pan, add the lobster tails. When the paella is cooked and the rice looks fluffy and moist, turn the heat up for 40 seconds until you can smell the rice toast at the bottom, then it's perfect.
Cook's note: The ideal paella has a toasted rice bottom called socarrat.
Remove from heat and rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with peas, parsley and lemon wedges.
Spice Mix for chicken:
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken; marinate for 1 hour, covered
