SEAT OF MY SOUL

In my opinion, the best comfort food is everything in one dish in the most unsophisticated way.  No introduction is needed to paella.. I am sure!  For those weekend late afternoon get together’s with special friends, good wine, jazz music in the background and the best rustic meal ever!!  What more can you ask for?

INGREDIENTS 

• 5 large chicken legs
• 1 lb pork
• 20 slices of chorizo
• 2 lb fresh mussels
• 1 lb fresh squids
• 20 large shrimps
• 1 lb + 2 oz round rice or paella rice
• 2 large onions
• 2 lb tomatoes
• 1 red pepper
• 1 green pepper
• 1 yellow pepper
• 10 artichokes hearts
• 4 garlic cloves
• 6 oz fresh peas cleaned (or frozen)
• 1 bay leaf
• 7 cups + 1/2 chicken stock
• 2 saffran capsules
• About 1 + 1/4 cups olive oil
• 1 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper

METHOD

• Cut your chicken legs in halves.
• Chop the pork in cubes.
• Heat some olive oil in your paella dish (I use an All-Clad braise pan as I do not own a paella dish). When hot, brown all meats on all sides and set them aside.
• Wash and brush your mussels and place them in a large pot.
• Cook on high heat for a few minutes until they open. Remove them but keep the juice they give out.
• Heat some olive oil in a pan and cook the sliced squids for 5 mns. Set aside.
• Heat some olive oil in a pan and cook the shrimps for 2 or 3 mns and set aside.
• Blanch your tomatoes for 1 mn. Rinse them in cold water, peel them and remove the seeds. Chop them.
• Heat your chicken stock.
• Slice the peppers (remove all white parts and seeds).
• Slice the onions.
• Heat some olive oil in the paella dish and when hot, cook the onions and peppers until softer (on medium heat for at least 10 mns min.)
• Add the tomatoes, the saffron, the bay leave and the rice, and mix well.
• Cook for a few mns before starting to add the broth and mussel juice. Add a few ladlefuls and then add all the pieces of meat. Stir to make sure it does not gets sticky to the bottom, and continue with the rest of the broth. Do not cover your paella.
• Cook the chorizo in a frying pan for a few mns (no oil is needed). Place on a paper towel to absorb the excess of grease.
• 10 mns before the end, add the peas and the artichokes hearts.
• Chop the garlic and parsley and add them to the paella 5 mns before the end, along with all other ingredients set aside: the mussels, the squids, the shrimps and the chorizo.
• Serve without waiting!  A good Sauvignon Blanc normally goes well with this dish.

This entry was posted on October 20, 2010 at 2:48 pm and is filed under Cooking, Family, Friends, Recipe. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.